Marked
by fluffy-subtext
Summary: It's the middle of the Second Wizarding War. Ron's haunted by dreams with a mark worse than a scar. Neville is keeping a secret. And Draco doesn't even know where to stand anymore. eventual DM/RW and SS/NL
1. Dreams

So while going thru my computer the other day I found this! A story I wrote…a whiiiile back haha and I guess I never got to put this up on ffnet.

So here it is ^_^

Pairings: Draco/Ron , Snape/Neville

Warnings: Violence, eventual male x male

XXX

Chapter 1

XXX

"Crucio."

"Argh!" He could hear the laughter around him as he felt the pain envelope him for…he couldn't count how many times this had happened. He thought that his body might go numb after a while but it hadn't, and the pain just got worse.

He couldn't tell what day it was or where he was. And he could feel his whole body convulsing.

His blood was pounding against his skin. He could fell his eyes rolling to the back of his head, his arms and legs got strange piercing sensations all over them. The tears had stopped a long time ago…he gasped for air as the curse was lifted.

"I don't think he's going to tell us anything! Let's just kill him already and get on with the rest of them!"

"N-no!" His voice was hoarse, his throat torn from all the hours of screaming. After he said it he couldn't help but doubt if there were other people, they were probably already dead.

"Oho! He wants to help his ickle friends!" The foul voice that had spoken earlier laughed maniacally.

"I'm not wasting any more time on this mud-blood loving fool! Avada Ka…"

"Wait…" The voice was cold and ran a horrifying chill down his broken body. He heard it only a few times before…a voice threaded thoroughly with darkness, it was soft but he could still hear it over his own panting.

"My Lord." He heard the group of voices around him and the ruffling of robes…his eyes were open but everything was so fuzzy he couldn't see anything.

"He can still be of use to me…"

"NO!" Ron sat up breathing harshly. His body shivering and covered in sweat. He looked around the dark room before realizing he was alone again.

He ran his shaking hands through his hair. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep after that.

It had been over a year…his left wrist was tingling. He looked around but there was nothing. He was still alone in Number 12 Grimmauld Place like he had been for the past few months. He ran another hand through his hair trying to get it out of his face, it had gotten long.

**THUD**

He looked around the room…that sound came from downstairs. The red-head quickly jumped out of his bed and ran down the stairs. Who would be visiting Grimmauld Place unannounced?

He grabbed one of the twin's old Beaters bat at the foot of the stairwell. He saw there was a light flickering under the door in the kitchen.

"Ron?" A familiar voice called from in the kitchen and he laughed shakily going through the door to see Harry's face in the fireplace. There was a log on the floor in front of him.

"Throwing logs now Harry?" Ron grinned trying to ignore the sharp pain surging through his wrist now. He flinched.

"I had to get your attention somehow." The dark-haired teen eyed Ron. "I miss you mate."

"If this is one of those muggle booty-calls I'm leaving." Ron sat down in front of the fire.

"Hardy-har-har." Scoffed the face in the fire. "Seriously…it's been a while." Ron noticed the bag's under Harry's eyes and he had gotten skinnier too.

"Yeah, how's Hermione?" Ron found he couldn't look the fire in the eyes at that moment.

"She's doing fine…"

"Seamus?" The red-head tried not to think about it too much. He still cared for Hermione, just not in the way she had wanted…and then after the incident…

"They're thinking about getting married." Harry looked a little uncomfortable before noticing the red-head rub his wrist unconsciously.

"Its hurting isn't it."

"I dreamed about it again." Ron tried to smile wincing at the pain in his wrist; he noticed the brunette looked worried.

"Maybe I should…"

"No! Please…we don't get to talk…anymore…" The red-head immediately hated the scratchiness of his voice.

"I know…Ron…" He looked tired. "It's my fault it hurts…"

"I can deal with it." Ron mumbled.

"Listen the reason I'm calling is to tell you that there will be an emergency meeting tonight and we can talk in person okay? No matter what Moody says." He grinned.

"You're calling me at three in the morning…to tell me something that could wait?"

"Well I figured since I was awake you should be too." He smirked.

"Git."

"And I really didn't want to see you walking around the place in your skivvies because you didn't know there was a meeting."

XXX

"Traitor! We found you!"

He fell into the dirt panting. It was too soon…he needed to get out of there. There were bright flashes and smoke everywhere. The cabin was on fire…and from how bright the surroundings were…he could guess that most of the village was too.

He hoped that the man that had been helping him wasn't captured.

"Get out of here!!!"

The frantic shouting and yelling got him to his feet again. He needs to get out of there. He needs to live.

He quickly thought of the largest city he could think of…he might be able to lose them in a large city…hopefully if they didn't follow…

"Draco get out of here!!!" He heard the frantic shouting of a familiar voice mix in with the screams…of people he didn't think he recognized.

"Hello Draco…"

Everything went cold.

XXX

Ron sighed in the warmth of the shower, unwrapping his bandaged wrist revealing a skull and snake tattoo. This was the reason he hadn't been able to see Harry. He had gotten it that night a little over a year ago.

It still haunted his sleep. He had been captured…along with a few others at the, was it third raid? It was hard to remember…one of the earliest ones.

He was the only one left alive.

They had found him weeks after the battle, broken in the forbidden forest with the Dark Mark on his wrist. It had been awful, they thought he had died and even had a ceremony for him.

The problem was that whenever Harry was near him it caused him pain…and it became excruciating for the both of them if they ever touched. Mad Eye thought that Ron might have been put under the Imperious curse or the Mark could some how let Voldemort, he had to get used to the name, into what was happening around Ron. What the Order was doing, what they were planning…some of them considered him as good as a spy.

But even worse than all that was…no one could touch him…it was worse with Harry but…not even his family could touch him. Any contact made him feel as though he was reliving the cruciatus curse all over again. His mum had cried for weeks at just the sight of him…he wasn't going to be able to touch anyone anymore.

He prayed to Merlin that it would be gone when Voldemort was defeated…or that he would be killed in battle.

That's why they kept him at Grimmauld Place. He had been here since that day; it was the most protected place for him while the rest of the Order either stayed at Hogwarts or other places to not seem so suspicious. His family was pretty much the only reason he was still allowed at the meetings, they swore they would tell him everything anyway so he was allowed back. And even after all of this he could still tell he didn't have everyone's full trust any more.

Hogwarts was barely a school anymore. More like a safe-haven for all the muggle borns and any one else that had decided not to just sit around and see what happens. Most of the old professors were still there along with Neville, Luna, Dean and Seamus who were a part of the Order now. Ginny and Hermione were there half of the time and the other half going on little side missions for the Order that weren't deemed too dangerous.

Not that the girls couldn't handle it.

But Ron was left here…It had taken a few months for him to be allowed back in the meetings and even a few more after that to be allowed to see Harry…though still very rarely as most of the Aurors preferred they didn't interact.

They had even taken away his wand.

Ron grimaced at the scars around his mark he had given himself trying every spell or incantation he could think of to try and get it off. He figured his mum probably thought he was going to off himself after he and Hermione had ended it.

Well really…she HAD thought he was dead…and it HAD been a few weeks…and Seamus WAS there. Ron hit his head against the wall in the shower. He regretted ending it with her. Or really she ended it.

But they were happy together at least. And getting married? Wow.

He ignored the burning in his chest and eyes. It was horrible. He wanted to feel happy for everyone but he was stuck here while all of them were fighting. He was stuck here because everyone was afraid what the Mark would do to him if he accidentally got stuck in a group of people…it was hard to avoid contact with people…they couldn't even help him up without causing more pain.

It was awful.

He heard some voices start to form in the lower floors. He quickly stopped the shower and wrapped up his arm; slipping on jeans and a white t-shirt before heading downstairs.

XXX

It was hard to breathe. He had no idea how he had been able to make it past…

He could hear the muggles gasp and some scream. A few of them started asking him questions. He must have looked awful to earn that type of reaction.

"You think you can run you filth! Betray the Dark Lord and live?" He heard the high and awful voice of Bellatrix as she laughed. "I see you wittle ickle Dracokins!"

"Get away!" he yelled which seemed to take a lot of strength out of him. Tears from the pain making it hard to see, along with the blood.

There were a few flashes of light that barely missed him but one hex did hit his leg causing him to double over and hit the street.

XXX

"Well honestly, I think we need to take a trip to the grocer." He walked in to see his mum going thru the cabinets. "No wonder Ron looks so skinny all the time."

"I'm the reason there is practically no food mum." He grinned as she turned around and smiled sadly, he wanted to hug her put knew better. Then the twins walked into the room.

"We thought you would still be sleeping." Fred stated and then sat down at the table. George yawned before following suit. They hadn't changed much in the years besides looking more tired than usual, but it seemed that most people were doing that these days. They were still inseparable.

"Naw, I've been sleeping too much lately." Ron grinned even though it was a lie.

"Well I need you two to go to that muggle grocer for me." Molly Weasley stated as she waved her wand and a list appeared in front of George. At first Fred and George loved going to the muggle grocer…until they realized how, in fact, boring it was.

"Aw C'mon mum we just woke up!" Moaned Fred flopping on the table.

"Hey, how about Ron and I go?" George winked at Ron who looked over to their mother eagerly. Now that was an idea.

"I don't think that's such a great…" She looked torn glancing at Ron.

"Its okay, it's just the grocer and besides I haven't left this place in soo long mum! And I'll be really careful not to touch the muggles." Ron tried to put on his best sympathy face. He hadn't left Number 12 for five months and a week…but that was only because they had thought he had been compromised before…otherwise the number of weeks would be a lot longer.

"The place is really big so it shouldn't be a problem." George nodded.

"Oh…" She sighed looking weary. "Oh alright but not a word to anyone in the Order you understand? Especially Moody…he'll probably want to lock you a dungeon next that little…"

"Mum!" Fred laughed excitedly when Mrs. Weasley had given Moody a few choice words.

"Alright be quick you two and don't make me regret my decision!" She winked and both boys left the kitchen.

"Thank you." Ron gave his brother a quick nod before heading out of the house for the first time in months.

"Well Fred is never really helpful in grocers anyway…"

XXX

It was getting harder to breathe.

He knew he was bleeding…everywhere.

Tired.

Thirsty.

He had to keep running, he had to get away! His wand had been destroyed…what was he going to do?

Howls and shouting could be heard behind him.

Draco cursed as his body began to shake…he wouldn't be able to make it would he? He gasped for air pulling himself to his feet. The Death Eaters weren't as close as he thought considering they hadn't caught up to him.

He limped as quickly as he could into a dark alleyway before bumping into something and hitting the ground hard.

There was a familiar shade of red-hair…

"George that's the last time I listen to you! Honestly, _there's never anyone there. What's to worry about?_ I just ran into a muggle!" He watched as Ron Weasley got himself up and began to dust himself off before realizing there was blood on his hands.

"Sorry sir we didn't see…" The other Weasley…one of the twins…he was looking in shock when he realized who Ron bumped into. "Malfoy?"

"H-help."

Everything went black.

XXX

"H-help."

Ron stared wide-eyed at the bloody mess before him. He noticed that his brother was frozen in place too.

"Found him!" The both turned to see a Death Eater at the end of the alley-way. That's when they noticed all of the screaming of the muggles out in the street.

"Ron!" George pulled out his wand and ran in front of his younger brother. "Grab him and go!"

"But!" The youngest Weasley winced as his wrist began to tingle.

"Ron I know it hurts but please he needs help and you don't have a wand to defend yourself with, now go…NOW!"

He quickly pulled up the blonde that was passed out on the floor and apparated quickly.

Suddenly he was in front of number 12 Grimmauld place. There was no one on the street. He ran to the door kicking it open and then running into the largest room. "Mum! Hurry! Mum!"

He shouted at the top of his voice before placing the bloody and beaten blonde on the nearest couch.

Then he realized…there was no pain…

Blue eyes widened as they stared down at the limp form…he placed his hand back on the blonde.

There was no pain.

"Ron wha…OH! Ron! Wha…whe….where's George?" Mrs. Weasley gasped looking at the broken boy on the couch. "Ron? Ron? Where's your brother?"

"I'm here." They both looked up to see George breathing heavily and his body was shaking. He had a few scrapes and a small cut on his arm probably from dodging a hex.

"Ooooh George!" Mrs. Weasley gasped with tears in her eyes.

"Mum what's all the comotio…" Fred stopped at the site of his duplicate, he immediately went to George's side before he noticed to bleeding blonde on the couch.

"Fred, call everyone…they need to get here and help him." George gasped for air sitting down as his twin left the room quickly but not before giving one last worried glance at his brother.

XXX

"So what happened?"

Ron watched Moody pace at the end of the room. He made sure he was as far from everyone as he could be…but his arm was still killing him; it was getting worse.

Almost everyone was there; McGonaggal, Tonks, Kingsley, Bill, Fluer, Charlie, Fred and George. Harry, Seamus, Neville, Luna, Dean, Hagrid and Ginny. Mr. Weasley was leaning against the wall close to Mad Eye. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were upstairs working on the battered newcomer.

Professor Lupin was still undercover with the Werewolves and they could only see him once a twice a month…if at all.

And the rest were probably still at Hogwarts worried about leaving it alone.

Percy had died when the Death Eaters had taken over the Ministry a few months ago trying to protect Arthur, Ron grimly tried to forget the state it had left his family in since none of them had made amends with each other before hand. It took them a while to even get his mum to smile again.

"As I was saying, Ron and I were going to the grocer." George glared at everyone who scoffed. "Listen he doesn't need to spend the rest of his bloody life here…we…"

"That's not the point now…" Moody interrupted before the rant started. "And then you said that he just bumped into Ron and then you were surrounded by Death Eaters?"

"I believe they were chasing him." Ron spoke up for the first time that meeting. Realizing he now had all eyes on him, he continued. "They were obviously the ones that did it to him…"

"Of course you would see it that way…" Moody scoffed, "It could have been a trap or…"

"Honestly?" Fred scoffed standing beside his twin. "How on earth would they have known that George and Ron were going shopping at that moment and going to appear in that alley and that very time? Seems pretty well planned to me."

"Unless you're suggesting that it's Ron's fault." Harry spoke across the room from Ron. It was quiet for a moment, the strange pause that usually happens after Harry speaks. The red-head had noticed it after hanging with the other teen for a few years.

"I'm not saying he's a spy, am I?" Moody shot back.

"Not exactly but you meant it." Ginny stated bitterly. Ron hated this…sometimes he wished he had died…him being alive only caused a dividing line in the Order.

"What I am saying is…" Moody continued irritably. "That maybe him being outside of this place allowed them to see where he was…and where he was going. If he isn't under constant protection and limitations they might be able to trace him."

"Anyone staying here for this long alone would go crazy!" Tonks spoke up she didn't say anything but it was obvious she had been thinking about Sirius. "And no one interrupt me."

Not that anyone would; considering she was 8 months pregnant.

"We aren't blaming you Ron, if anything it might be a good thing that you went there." She waited to make sure no one would speak. "I mean from the likes of it he was being chased…and no matter what Mad Eye says, it's pretty much impossible to guess where people are apparating unless you can read their minds. Which given, yes you-know-who can do that but I don't think he did. I think it was coincidence and fate which brought you the young Malfoy."

"Doesn't everyone remember what Harry told us after Dumbledore died?" McGonaggal spoke up. "Draco couldn't kill Dumbledore and even Dumbledore had offered protection to the young lad."

"I think we should wait then." Harry stood up. "Wait until he's healed enough for us to question him. We'll use veritaserum if it'll make you feel better." He had nodded toward Moody with that statement.

"Fine." The older man growled but didn't walk away. It was time to start the other part of the meeting.

Planning the next fight.

"Longbottom?" Ron looked over at Neville who stood up holding some papers but was still fidgeting. Ron could say he had been very surprised at how useful Neville had become during the war and it also seemed that nobody had been kidding when they had said the teen was good at herbology.

He had found so many uses for mandrakes and devil's snare that most of their bases had them around the lines. Neville and Ron had also been a big part of the strategic planning group before Ron had been capture.

Even with all of that Neville still would ask for Ron's opinion but lately all the fighting seemed to have started taking a toll on the teen. He was thinner and his hair was shaggier but still short. And he was almost always covered in dirt.

"Professor Sprout and I were wanting to test a theory we have on Alihotsy leaves and if it can affect the Demenotors…"

XXX

"Harry." Ron nodded to the door of the kitchen and left the room to go to a…less crowded one.

"Not long Ron okay? I know I hurt you the most." Harry stated quickly following the red-head a good 7 feet behind him.

Ron quickly dodged into the room that they had placed the now bandaged blonde teen.

"Ron, wha?"

"No…look." Ron quickly grabbed Malfoy's arm.

"Wait! Ron!" Harry had started towards him but stopped. "Wait…he's….its not?"

"My arm doesn't hurt." He stated letting go of the arm. "I don't know what it means."

"We should let everyone else know and see if they can work a connection." Harry nodded still with a surprised face.

"Other than the fact we both have marks?" Ron scoffed.

"Moody doesn't mean it…he's just…"

"No, the paranoid git means it Harry." The ginger haired teen ran a hand through his hair. His arm was getting worse the longer he was with the other teen.

"I'll just let Hermione know then…maybe she can come up with something." Harry started walking towards the door. "Well think of the Brightside."

Ron was startled by his friend's sudden grin.

"Now at least you have company." And he quickly left the room.

Ron groaned.

"You git!"

XXX

The first thing Draco noticed as he came too was that he was lying down and felt heavy. But he wasn't feeling as much pain as he was expecting…did he die?

A sudden jolt of pain hit his head showing him that in fact…he was not dead. The blonde gasped and opened his eyes, was he captured? Where was he? What happened? Why wasn't he dead?

He could hear voices… he couldn't understand what they were saying but he was cold very cold...

Then he remembered. The red-hair while he was being attacked! A Weasley! What happened to the Death Eaters? All he could remember was the stupid muggles screaming.

With a gasp he opened his eyes, the ceiling. It took a second to register that his hand had grabbed something. He glanced down at the surprised look on Weasley's face. Draco noticed he was holding Ron's hand…even then he didn't want to let go.

Afraid it would all turn out to be a dream if he did.

"Don't…" His own voice sounding foreign even to his own ears. It was raspy…it hurt to use his throat.

"Harry! He's woken up." The ginger-haired teen notified the occupants in the other room. It had been his turn to keep an eye on the blonde...it was day three. Ron didn't think he would mind actually having company at Number 12 but he wished his company could have been for more fun and a lot less business.

But there was still a war going on.

Draco tugged on the hand harder. They had to get out…why was the stupid red-head making so much noise? He tried to pull the red head over.

"Malfoy?" Ron felt his arm being tugged and bent over beside the teen that looked at him with almost wild eyes.

"Death Eaters?" Ron watched his lips move with the words.

"No, they are gone, its okay I got you out of there." Ron was immediately worried as he glanced over the shaking teen. Bill was kneeling at the other side of the bed and Harry got on the other side against the wall as far away as he could when he noticed the blonde wasn't planning on letting go of Ron any time soon.

Draco looked around as if not believing he was safe…looking for the Death Eaters to pop out at any moment. His eyes fell on Harry widening…Potter? Why was Potter here? And what the hell, Longbottom?

Everything came back to him.

It was an awful sensation. Like getting the same bad news over and over again stuck in the nightmare. He could see it the year's events rushing into his mind after the Dumbledore incident. His mother crying before the green flash of light hit her…his father had done it.

Running.

The werewolves had been sent after him too…Snape and that other guy had tried to protect him as much as they could without getting caught.

He should have known it was too good to be true.

Everyone else in the room couldn't help but stare in shock as the blonde had grabbed his head and broke down. Sobbing.

Ron starred in awe but noticed that his hand had instinctively tightened its grip with the blonde's hand that was keeping it captive.

"Malfoy…" Ron didn't know what to do…he wanted to leave the room and the house as far away as he could get.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Draco shuddered letting go of Ron's hand like it burned as he remembered his fathers' eyes as he killed his mum…that man was not…never… "I am not his son."

"D-Draco…?" Harry this time, the outburst had definitely shook most of the people in the room. Mrs. Weasley looked torn from wanting to comfort the blonde or just staying back and letting him handle it himself but Neville was keeping a hand on her arm.

Bill got Ron's attention and motioned him to leave the room…and to take their Mum and Moody with him. Ron nodded and quickly gestured them out of the room careful not to touch them but Neville ended up having to yank the older man out as he started sputtering angrily obviously tiffed that they hadn't started the questioning yet.

He heard his Mum gasp as he made sure to close the door behind him and looked up quickly. Professor Lupin was standing in the doorway covered in mud and blood panting heavily.

"Remus!" Moody and Mrs. Weasley both shouted as the man fell to the carpet.

XXX

Ron sat in his room quietly almost missing the days the Grimmauld Place had been quiet…it had been better than him being barely able to stay downstairs because of all the people.

A week had passed since Malf…Draco (Ron thought bitterly) had woken up and other than the few answers he had gave Harry he had stopped talking when Bill had given him the news of the werewolf scratches and bite.

He hadn't said a word since and it was getting hard for them to get him to eat.

Remus Lupin had been waking up off and on since he arrived. At first everyone became worried that Fenrir would become suspicious with him gone. But at the state of things he was in when he arrived, Ron figured that the werewolves had figured him out.

"Ron; you decent?" The red-head rolled his eyes as the twins came in smirking.

"Lupin is forcing Tonks to go to her parents now…so no more pregnant lady tantrums." Fred stated happily.

"And Moody reminded everybody that they still have jobs to do so I think this place might be emptying out soon." George said but didn't smile causing Ron to tense up.

That meant that it was going to be Ron, Lupin and Draco…all by themselves?

"No one's staying?" Ron groaned, he really didn't want to have to try and play nurse with people he couldn't even touch if he wanted to…well minus the blonde but he didn't want to.

"Well we can stop by every once in a while like usual but we're going to try and keep the news going on the radio." Fred winked. "Figure it helps. And Neville was called back to the school…something is happening to that kid…"

"What do you mean?" Ron eyed the twins but they didn't say anything. "I've become a nurse-maid have I?" Ron sighed again but happy his brothers would still come by.

"C'mon cheer up. Make Madame Pomfrey proud." George snickered.

XXX

The place was quiet. It was weird because now Ron decided he missed the noise. He scoffed at himself.

"Ron is that you?" Lupin had woken up again and was sitting up but Ron motioned him to stop.

"You're not allowed up yet, you've got some pretty bad injuries." He stated in case the werewolf professor had forgotten the state he was in.

"Bludger…" He groaned laying back down slowly, Ron grinned at the forced-censorship.

"You remember anything? Since you've come here?" The freckled teen thought it would be a good question to ask since he had only been waking up for a few minutes at a time.

"I remember sending my wife home." Lupin sighed immediately regretting that decision…she was going to let him have it when he was better.

If she decided to wait for him to heal.

"Pretty ballsy for an injured guy I might add." Ron laughed, but Lupin could feel the tension from the other teen and new what he wanted to ask.

"I don't think I can get in with them again." Remus covered his eyes with his hand ashamed, "I blew it."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked a little panicked, he really didn't want to be the one that had to let everyone know this.

"A few weeks ago they brought that kid…the…Malfoy kid." Lupin started looking off at the corner of the room.

Ron decided he would share the fact that the Malfoy kid was upstairs for later.

"Well they wanted Fenrir to kill him." By they he meant the Death Eaters. "But ole' Greyback decided to have a little fun instead and I know that they had been suspicious of me before but…well he wanted me to turn the kid first." Ron's eyes widened…he prayed to Merlin that it wasn't his old professor that had done it to the blonde.

"I couldn't do it obviously." Remus sighed, "I tired to get him out of there, to help him get away…and I got some help…"

His eyes had gone lowered as if he was ashamed of who helped.

"Who helped you?" Ron croaked nervously.

"We had been doing pretty well but they found us and well…" He waved his hand over the state that he was in.

Ron wondered about the helper again.

"What about who helped you? Did they make it?"

"I suppose so, the others seemed to just think that he had gotten to me and the boy first… that he hadn't been helping us at all…which I guess could have been true."

"Who helped you?" He tried again.

"Severus Snape."

XXX

Ron could never remember having so many emergency meetings so close together and he could tell people were getting nervous but this was serious.

What side was Snape on?

Everyone sat in the kitchen, around the table…even Moody was sitting this time.

Brooding.

Ron looked across at everyone.

Harry looked more serious than ever…and older. He had bags under his eyes which made the green stand out fiercer. It was hard for him considering what he had witnessed but at the same time…

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were next to each other this time seemingly to be having a conversation with each other but through their eyes.

The twins looked like they might be sleeping.

Lupin looked awful but still better than he had before. He was staring at the table with a regretful look.

Hermione was whispering something to Luna.

Ron's eyes fell on Neville. The teen had been silent, which wasn't usual like most people would presume. The teen seemed really nervous and looked a little sick. His mouth opened like it was going to speak but then he noticed Ron staring at him and stopped.

Ron gave him a confused look but the wavy-haired teen looked away.

The red-head figured the other teen probably agreed with Moody this time and was a little horrified with himself…because Neville never agreed with the crazy-eyed man. But Snape had been a little harsher on Neville than the rest during their school years.

He winced and grabbed his arm at the same time Harry grabbed his scar. They both looked at each other wide-eyed and noticed Hermione was giving them the same expression, things were getting worse.

Ron looked at the door and then at his best friend. He was going to leave the meeting; he didn't even trust himself when it hurt like this.

Voldemort was holding a meeting, Mad-eye told them that's what all the Death Eaters said about their marks hurting when they finally broke down the last time.

Everyone looked up when he stood probably expecting him to say something but instead he walked out.

They would figure it out eventually.

He hissed as the pain started to feel like his whole are was burning. He heard a yelp come from up the stairs. Blue-eyes widened and he quickly ran up the stairs.

He burst into the blonde boy's room and noticed he was holding onto this wrist while clenching his teeth. The blonde looked up at the sudden intrusion but noticed the red-head was holding his own wrist.

Pale grey eyes widened and Ron realized that no, Draco would not have known that he had the mark unless he was with the Death Eaters.

"You…" The voice was hoarse and sounded a bit painful coming out, but the red-head figured it was probably from not using it. Ron gave one nod before making his way over to the blonde.

"What's it mean?" Ron stopped short of the bed nervously pulling at the bandages around his wrist.

The blonde still seemed pretty taken aback with the fact that the Weasley had the mark as well. He stared at Ron's wrist for a little while longer before closing his eyes and the both hissed quietly as a rather sharp pain came along their wrists.

"It usually mean's that He's summoning everyone…or something." The grey eyes did not look back up at Ron.

"Something?" Ron swallowed his throat had gone dry. For some reason he felt something tug at him…he had someone to share this with now…even if it was a pointy Malfoy.

"Whatever it is…usually summons though…" Draco eyed his wrist as the pain subsided, "It just burns when he uses a lot of magic I guess."

Ron didn't want to think about that at the moment. He sat down on the chair that had been placed beside the blonde's bed for whoever had been on watch.

"When?" Ron looked over and even though the other boy wasn't looking at him he knew what he was asking.

"About three months after Dumble…" Ron stopped noticing the teen tense in front of him. He paused before taking a different route to explain. "One of the first raids, I was captured."

He left it at that.

All Draco did was nod but still didn't look at the other boy.

"Are you willing to talk now, I guess?" Ron lifted his eyebrows as the teen seemed to shift a bit but still not look at him. But the red-head really didn't want this chance to go by, and since the meeting had probably taken a different turn it might help if he rejoined with new information. "Can I just ask you a few questions?"

The blonde didn't move but responded. "If I can ask you something afterwards."

Ron honestly didn't know what the other boy would want to know but he agreed with it.

"What happened?"

This caused the blonde to scoff in a sort of laugh-snort that had really caught Ron off-guard.

"From the beginning then?" Draco looked at him with no hint of humor on his face, more dread and Ron tried to ignore the fear as well.

"Sorry I couldn't think of anything specific." Ron mumbled, honestly he wasn't the interrogator and even if he was it would probably have been easier if Harry wasn't so set on making sure the blonde was going to be a protected ally.

"How far back then?"

Ron thought a moment but knew the answer. "Dumbledore's death."

Draco tensed.

"Very well." He tried not to let his voice croak. "I was initiated as a Death Eater and ordered to kill the man to restore my father's value in the Dark Lord's eyes. Not only that but he threatened mine and my mum's life. I had to do it."

"But…"

"Let me finish, ask your questions later." The blonde spat out bitterly. "In the end I couldn't do it and Snape had to. He made an unbreakable vow with me mum stating that he would make sure that it got done…Dumbledore knew…don't say anything yet. Well after that night we returned to the Dark Lord…who of course tortured me and my mum…"

"Why didn't you do it?" Ron asked quietly enough so that the blonde could pretend he hadn't heard if he wanted to.

"What?" Draco looked down at the red head.

"Why didn't you kill Dumbledore?"

"It would have saved me from this conversation." Draco stated bitterly.

"Oh fine." Ron snorted before pretending to seal his mouth with his fingers.

The blonde hesitated. He really didn't need to be telling the red head this. And none of the information he had was worth it anyway…he should have just talked to the idiot Potter. But then again…he looked over into the blue expectant eyes of the red-haired teen.

"I…" He paused closing his eyes and reluctantly relieving one of his worst memories in the past year. "I was going to…there was no other way around it. If I wanted to keep my mum safe I had to…I…but then the old coot offered to protect us and get us away…even protect my father in Azkaban, not that either of us knew the bastard broke out the next night."

Ron watched the teen struggle in thought with his eyes closed. He couldn't help but watch the blonde's jaw as it clenched in frustration…or maybe just thought. He couldn't ignore the drop of sweat that was falling from the blonde's brow and traveling down his face into the crevices of his neck.

Then he noticed the silver scar across the other teens face. It was very slight and he almost never would have noticed it…that scar…was more than likely from the frightful encounter between Harry and Draco that one night in the bathroom…

"I'm going to admit that I wanted to take up his deal. Go into hiding away from the Dark Lord. But the Dark Lord…and then the Death Eaters came in and well…"

"You would have joined Dumbledore though?" Ron had to admit he was surprised. Even when Harry had told him how Mal…Draco had slightly lowered his wand.

"Do you really think I wanted this?" Draco felt angry…angry at his own choices…that Ron didn't understand…he lifted up his arm and pointed at the mark. "Do you really and honestly believe that I wanted this? I honestly don't believe you got yours on your own did you?"

"…" Ron looked at his wrist clutching it tightly.

"Oh don't get me wrong." The blonde snorted. "I had wanted to…before…" His gaze left the red-head he didn't want to look at him anymore. "I just didn't…"

"Know…" Ron finished for him sitting up.

"No. I would like to say that I didn't realize what the Dark Lord was doing but I did…" The blonde still tried to avoid looking at the red head. "I did know, which just makes me more disgusted at myself for it."

Ron ran a hand through his hair. He had no idea what to do, he didn't know if he could keep asking the teen questions or if he should leave…he really didn't want to try and comfort him because he really didn't know what to do in this kind of conversation.

"My turn?" The blonde asked his voice low and Ron almost didn't hear it.

"Okay but understand I won't be able to answer everything." The blonde nodded and seemed to be thinking really hard about what he wanted to ask.

"When's the next full moon?"

Ron bit his lip.

XXX

Neville Longbottom stared into the fireplace of Number 12 Grimmauld Place's drawing room.

He was going to get into trouble and he knew it. He really didn't know why he was doing it either. He looked over at Ron Weasley who seemed to have a lot on his mind as well.

Most people had gone back to Hogwarts but he decided to stay he wanted to know…

Harry and Moody were interrogating Malfoy…Draco now. With veritaserum.

Neville stared into the flames, Lupin had asked them to give him some time to prove what he was saying was the truth. He looked over at the battered and almost too thin old DA professor. He was asleep on the couch.

Snape really had helped the old professor. Neville sighed a long worried breathe. He was still going to get in so much trouble if anyone figured it out. He almost thought Ron had earlier in the meeting and felt guilty for the relief he had felt when the ginger had left the meeting.

He waited for the result of the blonde's interrogation upstairs…maybe he wouldn't have to regret his decision. He prayed to Merlin…to God, to anyone that he wouldn't regret what he was doing.

XXX

The five guys sat at one end of the table.

"Apparently Ma…Draco." He corrected himself with a thin line on his lips, it was harder than he thought it should be to do the switch. "Says that Snape had made an unbreakable vow with his mother before it happened."

He didn't have to say what incident he was talking about.

"Hnn…" Moody seemed annoyed that the blonde teen upstairs had said the same thing he had told them when he first arrived along with more, but under veritaserum, the old man had no choice but to accept the words.

And Remus' story had matched as well.

And there was really no reason to doubt the werewolf.

Lupin seemed a little more cheerful now that they had gotten somewhere. "When I was trying to hide away with the boy." He started getting their attention. "He just suddenly appeared and took us to a place we could hide. He brought food for us and even though he couldn't speak much I'm pretty sure he had decided to keep protecting Draco even after his mother's death."

"Dumbledore told me that Snape had been helping him all these years." Harry looked at the table. "Its still hard for me to believe he could have an ounce of good in him even if I witnessed it. But, Dumbledore was dying I knew it, which means Snape probably knew it to."

"No reason for him to rush the process though." Ron couldn't help himself. Even if it was adding up, Snape hadn't proven anything to him.

"Maybe Dumbledore wanted Snape to kill him." Lupin stated what Harry had obviously been thinking. "If Snape hadn't done it then young Draco would have been forced to by the Death Eaters with him…or killed if he refused. Albus Dumbledore would never want anyone to get their hands stained especially a student."

Ron noticed that Neville was still quiet through out the meeting but this time instead of looking nervous or like he was up to something. He looked a bit relieved.

This caused the ginger confusion. "What do you think Neville?" He asked interrupting Moody in a rant that probably could have lasted longer. The wavy-haired brunette seemed to tense up as all eyes fell on him.

"I…" Should he tell them the truth? Neville looked down at the table, he didn't like averting everyone's gaze. He thought it made him look guilty, which he kind of was but still. "I think we should bring him here." He offered.

"Do the questioning personally?" Moody nodded approvingly, but still with a frown. "The only problem is that git has the ability to get past veritaserum.

"But he knows where we are." Ron started thinking he should probably remind them of a few things, not that he was totally against it…but just a little. "Why hasn't he come to us?"

"Maybe the fact that none of the Death Eaters have come here could be proof." Lupin spoke up before flinching.

"You should still be resting Professor." Harry started standing up to help the old DA professor to bed.

"I'm fine but we need to figure out what we are going to do and act on it. Should we try to capture him?" Remus looked at Moody who was thinking. "The Death Eaters still think he's on there side from what I could tell."

"Fine," Harry nodded grimly. "In our raid next week, if he's there we'll try to get him to come to us…but we can't meet here." The shaggy-haired looked at Ron gloomily knowing Ron couldn't participate.

"I'm alright with that." Ron scoffed. "I want to spend as little time as I can with that prat."

The red-head had been watching Neville's expressions through out the conversations and decided that the light brown-haired teen knew something.

He would ask him about it later.

XXX

End of Chapter One!

So what'd you think? I wrote it a while back but should I keep uploading the chaps?


	2. Confusion

XXX

Chapter 2

XXX

Neville stood in a very familiar hallway. He had stood in this hallway a lot in his fifth and sixth year and even more so recently.

A small door formed and the light-brown haired teen looked around nervously. He quickly went inside, everyone had gotten used to him leaving the groups every once in a while…

This time Ginny Wealsey had asked him to check on the room of requirement because she had tried to get in earlier and she couldn't find it. And he knew why instantly.

"Mr. Longbottom." Hazel eyes looked up at the stone-cold black one's across the room. He started playing with his hands and went into the room. He couldn't get used to it no matter how many times he had done this.

He watched the older man, he really couldn't figure out how it had happened but it had.

After Dumbledore's death and Hogwarts becoming a safe-haven, it had been hard for him to find a place for some peace, even the green-houses would have a few people in them every once in a while. Especially after the whole Ron incident he felt like he needed a place where he didn't have to think about the war or what they were going to do next. When he finally remembered the room of requirement there had been a surprise on the inside.

Apparently Snape had forgotten to add 'no Longbottom's allowed' in the list for a room and there was a secret passageway from the Hog's Head to the room of requirement. It had been quite a bit of shock for the both of them and even though Neville had body-bind-hexed the old professor before realizing that Snape had…in fact not tried to even defend himself from the teen.

Neville really didn't know why he hadn't ran and gotten somebody for help but instead he had waited and listened to the story.

Well now he had been helping the teacher that used to scare him, and he had been for weeks. He had been giving him herbs that he was growing on the grounds, and worst he still hadn't told anyone. He looked at the floor guiltily wondering if he should mention the meeting from the day before to his old professor. But he had never spoken of the Order at all with the ex-professor.

"You're unusually quiet." Neville felt himself flush at the older man looked at him coolly. "Not that I mind of course."

Normally they would talk without really saying anything, or sometimes Snape would mention something about Neville's "friends" doing something and he would return with remarks or rumors he had heard about the death eaters.

They never gave anything away. Neville wondered if maybe Snape was worried about Draco or Lupin…if he had been trying to help them.

He didn't look too worried. He did look a lot paler than he ever had at school (something that the brunette would have assumed to be impossible). He only had a few more scrapes than usual, the first night the man had come he had somehow gotten a few large gashes, and he never told Neville how he had gotten them.

"I haven't anything to say to you." Neville muttered with a glare. It was hard to say but the more and more the brunette saw his old professor the less he became nervous around the man. Either Neville was gaining more courage (which he was hoping) or it really wasn't that hard not to be scared of a man whose condition seemed to worsen every time he saw him.

It was probably both though.

He watched the man stand over the brewing cauldrons. "No big Death Eater thing to do tonight then?" He asked a bit stiffly causing the other man to look up at him.

"No secret meetings going on in the Order tonight then?" He asked sarcastically back.

"What's the point of brewing these things if you just throw them out anyway?" The brunette saw a couch appear beside his chair and happily exchanged seats lying down.

"It helps me think, if you must know." The older man's voice still smooth and full of venom like usual. "I presume that you could say the same for you when you are knee deep in soil."

He could.

Neville felt a sort of bad for almost wishing things were back to the way things had been before all this.

Almost.

"Why don't you brew something useful?" Neville watched the man sigh, normally Neville would talk about random things but after the meetings, he didn't know what he should do. He tried to ignore the funny feeling he got in his chest when he thought about turning the greasy-haired man in…but now the Order was figuring out things about Snape.

He might be allowed back in again.

"Like what?"

Neville bit his lip, it was just going to be a hint and if the man didn't get it then he wouldn't press the matter.

"Wolfsbane…or something like that…" He tried to keep his expression blank and his mind guarded at they stared at each other. (He had never had any lessons on guarding his mind but he was pretty sure he could feel it if it happened.)

XXX

"So what did you guys decide then?" Draco eyed Ron warily as the lanky teen handed him a bowl.

"I honestly don't know if I'm allowed to tell you." Ron decided to be honest with the teen. "You still need to be approved by everyone in the Order."

The blonde nodded a bit, he was still sore and being forced to stay in bed. Not that he would be allowed to walk around he scoffed mentally before looking into the bowl.

"What the hell is this Weasley?" The blonde looked at the other teen who looked uncomfortable.

"Wolfsbane. Hermione brewed it. Professor Lupin says that it works very well." He said wondering if maybe he should warn the other teen about the taste. He had almost felt like he had been torturing the old professor when he handed him the potion. No wonder Hermione had handed it to him with such a guilty expression before practically running away.

"Oh." Draco tried to ignore the awful stench coming from the potion in the bowl. The Weasley had told him that the full moon was coming up pretty soon and the old professor with the other older Weasley had told him about Wolfsbane Potion.

He tried not to remember their warnings about his first night and their offers for binding him up just in case…the first time was apparently the worst. And the oldest Weasley said he doesn't even transform all the way but the pale green look on the old professor's face was enough not to make the blonde boy ask about transforming the entire way.

The red-head in the room noticed the blonde looking gloomily at the potion. He ran his hands through this hair before sitting down in the chair beside the bed. He hadn't spent much time with the blonde considering Bill and Lupin had kept coming in probably trying to council the poor kid. It was a moment before his eyes widened…he had totally forgot!

How could he forget?

"Better drink that quickly, get it over with." Ron suddenly blurted out anxiously wanting to get on with it, but figured it might be better if the blonde would go ahead and take the potion.

Pale grey eyes widened and he made an absolutely disgusted sound and tried to swallow the rest of the potion not wanting it to touch his tongue. Tears formed in his eyes and his nose stung and he quickly handed the bowl back to the ginger just in case the bowl had decided to fill itself up.

"That was disgusting." He wiped his mouth with his hands and then his eyes when he noticed the wetness there.

"Worse than that time Harry jinxed you to taste rotten milk no matter what you ate fourth year?" The red-head joked trying to lift the mood a little before he realized he might have been bringing up bad memories instead.

"That was him?" Draco frowned in realization, he had thought the spell would have been too complex for idiot scar head at the time, but decided to ignore the old things for once. "And yes it was definitely worse than that."

It was quiet for a bit and both of them shifted uncomfortably for a second. Ron had never stayed long in the room, for one, he really didn't know what to do around the blonde and two; he had totally forgotten the being around the blonde wouldn't hurt him like being around others.

"M..Draco," Ron got the blonde's attention, "The Mark…does it hurt you to touch people with out it?"

"No." The blonde looked at him confused, "I think a lot more people would be able to figure out who had a mark if it was like that." He eyed the lanky teen, "Does it hurt you?"

Ron nodded glumly. It made sense because even though they had marks Draco and Snape were still able to hang around other people. He looked at his wrist covered in bandages before he decided to take them off, unwinding them rather quickly.

Draco was watching him rather blankly.

"Can I see yours then?" Ron asked gulping as he stared at his mark, the skull and the snake moving he swore it looked like they were laughing at him. He slowly switched from sitting on the chair to moving to the bed and sitting close to the other teen. Draco didn't make any sound or expression as he lifted up his left arm, he had denied the others to bandage it up it was something he wanted to remind himself with.

Ron held up his arm and put it beside the blonde's and stared comparing them. They looked the exact same Ron noted gloomily. Draco watched the blue eyes sadden a bit.

"But you can touch me?" He asked not pushing his arm any closer to the freckled one. Instead Ron nodded but groaned before grabbing the blonde's hand to prove it to him. Draco then remembered how he had held on to the ginger when he had first woken up. He also wondered why no one else had brought it up at that moment.

Ron sighed dejectedly before collapsing backwards on the bed ignoring the fact that he had landed uncomfortably onto the blonde's legs.

"They looked the same to me." Ron moaned letting Draco know what he was thinking. "The bloody same."

"…" The blonde watched the lanky boy as he suddenly looked deep in thought again. Ron was still holding his hand and didn't seem to notice. He decided to wait because if Ron was telling him the truth he probably hadn't been able to be this near a person in a long time.

And Draco couldn't say that he didn't like the companionship.

Ron's face quickly flushed a bright red as he realized he hadn't let go. He moved his hand quickly away as if he decided that it did hurt to touch Draco. He mumbled an apology before getting up trying to ignore how much he had enjoyed the touch and tried even more to ignore the fact that he wouldn't mind doing it again.

XXX

"Mr. Longbottom" Neville looked over to see Severus Snape glaring at him from across the field they were standing in. Hazel eyes looked around noticing the battle going on around them. There was something odd.

He couldn't move, Neville noticed looking down at himself. Only his head was able to move, he looked up and saw Harry fighting the Death Eaters, almost everyone from the order was there fighting, bright lights flying from the tips of their wands.

The twins were helping Ginny fight against two of them. Hermione was pulling Seamus back who seemed to be bleeding from the side. He saw Mad-eye Moody yelling, when he noticed he had been yelling at Neville.

Telling him to so something but he couldn't hear it. There was a shrill laugh that made him feel cold. The hairs all over his body stood on end, Bellatrix Lestrange was walking over to him. He willed himself to move, not so he could run away but so he could run towards her. Revenge for his parents the only thing on his mind.

But nothing happened and he still couldn't move, he stared wide-eyed as she lifted her wand and muttered words he couldn't hear. He closed his eyes but he didn't feel anything. He opened them…but no one was there, there wasn't even anyone fighting on the other side of the large field. He looked around again maybe he had missed something.

And he had.

Hazel eyes widened at the collapsed black form right in front of him and his knees immediately buckled letting him know that he could move. He slowly crawled over to the fallen old potions professor. He looked down at the cold unmoving form he could recognize as a dead body, after watching his grandfather die it wasn't something that he would easily be able to forget. He touched Snape's face feeling how cold it was.

This never would have happened if he had turned the man in. He felt tears bitterly falling down his face. Looking at his dead ex-professor and he couldn't ignore how tight his chest had gotten.

Neville gasped as he sat up in his bed. He looked around wide-eyed realizing it was just a dream. He ran a hand through his light brown wavy hair noticing how sweaty he had gotten then looked around noticing everyone was still asleep. He made his way out of the room into the Griffindor common room, all of the old dorms had been turned into rooms for whoever wanted to stay at Hogwarts during this time. Mainly muggle-borns and they were also allowed to bring their parents if they were really worried about them.

Neville had been amazed at first how easy it was for most of the muggles with wizard children to get around with not one once of magic. He moved into a chair and started a fire with the flick of his wand.

Suddenly something hammered against Neville's chest; he could remember feeling this happening a few times before, once in his dream. He realized he was still shaking; the dream had bothered him more than he really thought it would.

No it would bother anyone, he thought bitterly. Snape was innocent, that was something he was sure of and he knew that hiding the man might not have been the best thing to do. Hiding an innocent person only makes them look guilty…kind of like not looking someone in the eye.

Even though they didn't see each other than much and their conversations were never cheerful or very social in any sense. Neville liked going…well he had to like it if he had kept doing it, he thought to himself. Maybe he was a strange sort of deranged masochist. Either way Neville found himself praying that his dream didn't have anything to do with the old potions master's future.

Even if right now the man was probably sitting in a circle with all the other Death Eaters and the Dark Lord enjoying tea or muggle blood, or whatever that type would drink.

He put a hand over his mouth as he watched the flames. This was getting too confusing.

XXX

Hermione stared at Ron's wrist a little pale then she looked at Draco's wrist. She sighed.

Ron flinched at how close she had gotten, his arm had started to burn. The blonde beside him looked uncomfortable but probably from the scrutiny.

"They look the same to me." She stated looking at both of them. "Voldemort," she ignored Ron's flinch but seemed to make a note of Draco's , "he must have added something to the spell or whatever is involved with making this."

Draco's mouth thinned, he hadn't been able to stay awake through the whole excruciating process and couldn't help them out any more than what they knew.

Harry was at the other side of the room, his mouth a thin line too. Draco could see that it was bothering him to have to treat his best mate like this, for so long too with no hope yet to end it. The shaggy haired teen ran a hand through his hair looking sullen.

"Don't worry Ron, we can figure out something soon." Hermione looked like she was about to cry. The blonde noticed the bags under her eyes and that her hair, even though pulled back into a pony-tail, looked wilder than ever.

He didn't have to heart to say out loud that even when the Dark Lord had been defeated the first time the Marks had not vanished. He knew they had probably already all realized that. The look on Ron's face gave them the impression that he had been thinking of it at that moment.

He felt a stabbing pain on his side. His injuries decided to make themselves known. It had been the first time he had been out of bed for such a long time. He grabbed tightly onto the red-head's arm, which was closest to him. Ron looked at him surprised at the touch at first.

Draco made a note not to surprise him again; it would have to be rather shocking to be able to touch someone again when it had hurt him for so long. His grey eyes went over to Hermione who looked torn staring at Draco's hand touching Ron. He pulled his hand away.

He knew that everyone was probably thinking it was unfair that he was able to touch the Weasley. Draco tried to ignore the fact that his chest felt a strange sensation at the fact. A sudden sharp pain caused him to hiss again.

"You should get back in bed." Harry rubbed his face with his hands tiredly. "You're going to need your energy for tomorrow night."

Draco felt his blood and energy drain out of him. So soon? Harry looked apologetically at the blonde when he saw his reaction.

"Ron, can you get him up to his room?" Harry walked into the room making sure to stay against the wall as he walked toward Hermione. "We'll be down here waiting for your brother."

Ron nodded, his brother Bill was coming back again for the night to for one, talk to Draco again and then two, to help Lupin get back home to his wife who had wanted him back before the full moon.

Ron moved slowly and very gently as if it might hurt him grabbed the blonde's arm and brought it over his shoulder trying to ignore how he seemed to be affected…he was touching someone…this was the closest he had gotten to a hug in over a year and he tired to ignore the hollow feeling he got when he thought about his family. And he decided that his mom should not know about this because it would probably make her cry again that she wasn't able to touch him.

On the stairs he realized how light the blonde was…he was never this light during school. He would know considering how many bouts he had gotten in with the blonde. Draco hissed and tightened his grip around Ron's neck and grabbed his side with his other hand.

Ron paused for a second to see if maybe all the moving was the reason he was in pain. Draco's legs finally gave out like they had wanted to too when Harry had made the comment about tomorrow night. He really didn't want to think about it but after it had been brought up he has having a hard time pushing it out of his mind.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ron had let go of the blonde's arm and didn't know what to do as the other teen started shaking.

Draco nodded and slowly brought himself up, hating the weakness he was showing. He was happy when Ron didn't touch him but still seemed to be waiting for him to fall over again. They made it to the room and Ron stopped at the doorway as Draco climbed back into bed.

"Just so you know." Ron looked at the floor wandering what he could say to maybe worry the other teen less about the next night. "The Wolfsbane Potion should still help you…and…" He paused.

Draco watched the ginger.

"I'll still be here…so I guess you won't be alone though I'm not going to promise to hang out in this room with you or anything. But I will be here." Ron smiled a little before going down the stairs.

The second he made it down the stairs he heard a small commotion. He looked up to see Neville looking strangely confused. An expression Ron hadn't seen on him since their 6th year at Hogwarts. And from the looks of it Harry and Hermione were just as confused…but probably because neither of them could figure out why Neville had shown up.

"I…" He started and he noticed Ron on the stairs, "I need to tell you guys something…and you might not like it."

XXX

Bill had come into the place to see Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville sitting at the table. Ron was sitting as close to them as he could but the eldest Weasley could tell that they were talking about something that they wanted to keep it between them for now so he just continued up the stairs first to grab Remus.

"So…" Neville had finished telling them everything staring hard at the table not once looking up through the whole ordeal. During this Ron had noticed that even Neville had bags growing under his eyes and looked very tired. "I honestly don't know why I've kept doing it or why I never told any of you guys." He looked up at Harry; he really regretted that he had never told Harry because even in their student years he felt that Harry had been there for him.

Ron would have been lying if he had said he wasn't shocked at the news from Neville. The light haired teen had been hiding Snape in Hogwarts.

"Well considering Hogwarts is still there I would say that Snape hasn't told anyone about this secret passage." Hermione looked over at Neville. "But Neville I have to know what you were thinking?!" she added a little intensely.

"I told you he had told me things…" Neville mumbled.

"And you think he wasn't lying to you? To win you over probably." Ron snorted, even with the things he had learned about Snape from Lupin it was still hard to believe that Neville would have believed the git. "And if he had told you things why didn't you tell us about it?"

"I didn't think you would believe it." Neville stated quickly looking Ron regretfully in the eyes. "You would probably think he put some spell on me of something."

"I could believe that." Ron started before Hermione hissed for him to be quiet. Ron frowned at her but then looked at Neville's hardened expression.

"Neville…" Harry smiled at the other brunette, "You think we should give him a chance?"

Neville nodded, "I figured it would be okay to bring it up since Professor Lupin had been helped by him…"

"Neville," Hermione looked at him, "You did a good thing telling us," giving a quick glance at Ron she added, "and its understandable that you wouldn't want to before…"

Neville still looked wary and very guilty at himself, "I wouldn't have listened…" He paused, "But he hadn't guarded himself when I found him and then he told me the same things that Harry had told us before about Snape and I figured it must be true." Neville decided to leave out some things that the Potions Master had shared with him.

"What do you talk about?" Harry asked wanting to know and for some reason this question had caught Neville off guard and he could feel his ears growing red though he couldn't figure out why he was so embarrassed.

"Well as I said he isn't there all the time, he just told me that he couldn't return to his home anymore. We really just make off-hand comments at each other." He felt himself smile a little at some of the words Snape used…that he would never be able to as a professor.

"You make fun of each other?" Ron lifted an eye-brow…okay he could see that. Neville had grown strangely snarky and clever through out the years. But then Ron had met Neville's Gran and it really wasn't that surprising.

"If we talk at all, sometimes we just sit there while he makes his potions…"

"And he dumps them out when they finish?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, wastes a lot of my plants." Neville's eyes drifted a bit as if he remembered something, "That's why he's not allowed to use any of my rare ones but he says it helps him think…but we really don't talk at all."

Ron really wanted to ask Neville why he felt the need to watch Snape make potions in silence, it seemed rather weird to him but he guessed that he himself would probably want to keep an eye on Snape to if he had knew the man was near him.

"Do you think you'll be able to get us to him?" Harry looked deep in thought, Ron noted that some color had returned to Harry's face. Maybe this could be a good thing.

Neville thought for a moment. "I really never know when he's showing up…I usually just kind of guess when he's there…"

Ron decided not to say anything about Neville having some weird kind of connection with Snape. It was still just weird to him and for some reason his mind drifted to Draco for an instant. Ron hurriedly went back to the meeting at hand confused at himself for doing that.

Harry's green eyes were thinking…calculating. Hermione was too. Ron watched them but then looked at Neville who looked like he had just stopped carrying something heavy and realized that this was probably why he had been acting so strange at the last few meetings.

"Are you guys going to tell everyone?" Neville gulped thinking about what Moody's…or worse, a very pregnant Tonk's reaction would be to finding out that he had been hiding a criminal in the safe-haven known as Hogwarts.

Hermione's lips thinned. "I suppose there's no reason." The boys looked at her a little surprised, color had returned to Neville's cheeks. "We were planning on trying to talk to him anyway, just try not to hide anything else from us Neville, no matter what you think our reaction might be." She smiled at him.

"I'm sorry," Neville apologized. He smiled and felt himself grow a little tired and tried to stifle a yawn. That's when he noticed Remus Lupin and Bill Weasley standing in the doorway across the kitchen.

He looked down at the table again wondering if maybe they had heard everything.

Harry, Hermione and Ron had noticed them too.

"We've finished talking to Draco," Bill smiled softly at them, even if Ron wasn't next to the group of them it still looked like he was hanging out with his friends again.

"And?" Ron raised an eyebrow.

"If he decides he wants to be…um…constrained…" the wary looking Lupin seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "We've left everything in his room and you can help him tomorrow night. They aren't that hard to figure out."

"O-okay." Ron nodded a little dreadful at the thought.

"Oh and I've let ole' Moody know that you were going to be staying here tonight Harry." Bill smiled at him and then looked at Hermione, "I also sent Seamus and Luna a note for you too. It's late enough tonight and we both figured you guys should stay the night."

"I spoke with your Gran through the flu Neville," Lupin gave him a worried glance, "Apparently you hadn't told anyone that you had left."

"Ah…" Neville flushed, he had came as soon as he decided to tell them.

"Its okay, I told her that Harry had called you and you must have forgotten." The old professor smiled, "I told her you were staying too of course."

"Thank you!" All of them grinned happily. Ron the most of them all…it had been so long since something like this had happened.

"Oh and Neville…" Remus looked at all of them slyly as Bill left the kitchen. "You should really choose you secrets more carefully."

XXX

For some reason all four of them ended up in the room that Draco was in. They had decided not to leave the boy out if they were supposed to start trusting him.

Ron made his sleeping bag up beside the wall beside Draco's bed. That way the blonde would be between him and his friends…just in case anyone accidentally moved around while they were sleeping. He found it surprising enough that his wrist hadn't been bothering him in the room yet.

Draco watched them all but seemed to be gaining some life as everyone was getting comfortable. Ron guessed this was probably the most company he had gotten in a while and the look on the blonde's face when they had first entered the room told them that he probably needed the company after talking to Bill and Lupin.

"So Longbottom…" They all paused and looked at the slightly smirking blonde on the bed. "I just heard you were being seduced by Snape. You should be careful I heard he…"

But he was never able to finish as a pillow landed on his face had been thrown by a wildly blushing Neville Longbottom. And Ron lay down on his sleeping bag with the last thought of, 'It's going to be a long night.'

XXX

Neville woke up and for a moment forgot where he was. He looked around and saw Hermione sleeping on one side of him and Harry on the other. He was at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He smiled at how easy it had been to tell them about Snape, it was strange because now he wondered why he had waited so long to tell them anyway.

The second he thought about Snape his chest felt another tug which then strangely reminded him of what Draco had said about being seduced by the man. He could feel his face flush up and wondered if maybe he was more tired than he thought because these weren't normal thoughts.

It was becoming hard for him to push the thoughts out of his mind and he sighed sitting up. There was no way he was going to get to sleep now…well maybe if he went and made himself a small glass of warm milk and put a weak sleep inducing something in it…he could figure out what to make when he got down to the kitchen.

He really needed to get some sleep. He got up tiredly trying to keep his balance and did his best not to make any noise before he heard something outside the door. He quickly but silently got to the door of the room and threw it open. He bumped into something hard and suddenly was falling down the stairs attached to something. There was an intense noise coming from whatever he was attached too.

It took him a second to realize it was a person and the noise was screaming…who ever it was he was in pain. The rolling finally stopped as they reached the bottom of the stairs when he noticed that it was Ron he was touching.

As quickly as he could he got off of him and stared wide-eyed at the red-head as he panted harshly. Ron's face was scrunched up in pain and there were tears in his eyes. Neville didn't know what to do, he looked around before running into the kitchen and grabbing an ice pack.

Ron gasped for air. He had gotten up for a glass of water, he had made it past the sleeping forms but he should have known that it was going to good to last. His bones ached and wrist burned so much, he could feel his heart beat all over his body. He finally opened his eyes to see Neville staring at him wide-eyed and extremely worried. He was holding an ice pack but not staying close to the red-head.

"What's going on?" Harry and Hermione had run down the stairs with their wands in their hands. Hermione gasped as she looked at the state Ron was in and the look in her eyes showed how much she wanted to run and help him but they stayed back making sure not to get too close.

"I'm….okay…" Ron said between gasps and slowly but sorely got up. He hadn't had to feel like that in a long time. Not since Fluer's little sister had run up to hug him not knowing his situation.

"No you're not." Hermione sounded like she was crying though there weren't any tears. "You're not." Her lipped quivered and she quickly went back upstairs.

Ron stood and limped over to the closest chair. Neville tossed him the ice pack not wanting to get to close; he then went back into the kitchen. Harry walked into the room slowly but stayed at the entrance.

"It's been hard on her…" Harry started, "to see you like that."

"I know." Ron already knew that Hermione avoided coming to Grimmuald Place whenever she best could, and now she would probably try harder. He took a long deep breath and Neville was back this time with some bandages and Ron realized that the other boy had a gash on his head and a busted lip from the fall, he quickly looked at himself and noticed a cut on his arm and a cut on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry." Neville croaked.

"It's alright. Really." Ron gave him a quick smile as he caught the bandages Neville threw at him. "It was an accident."

Neville still didn't look convinced but quietly mumbled he was going to check on Hermione and headed up the stairs.

Harry grinned though his eyes looked sad over at Ron. "Well at least tonight wasn't boring."

Ron sighed with a small curve of his lips.

XXX

"Are you sure you want this?" Ron asked as he fit the first shackle around Draco's right arm. The blonde boy looked sick but nodded none the less.

"Just in case." He stated nervously lifting up his other arm for the other shackle.

"You should be okay right? Since you drank the Wolfsbane Potion, right?" Ron realized that he had never really asked how much the Wolfsbane potion actually affected people when they changed.

Draco didn't say anything but just stared at the floor looking sicker than ever making Ron feel rather guilty even though the blonde had asked him to do this.

"If you seem normal enough…" Ron started thinking. "I'll talk to you behind the door…you know just in case."

Draco just nodded again with out speaking. Ron looked out the window and saw it was already dark but the moon still hadn't risen. He finished the other latch but refused to shackle his feet before the left the room and locked all the locks that they had installed on the door.

He went down the stairs and into the kitchen deciding he didn't want to be close to the room and sat at the table alone. Wishing that maybe someone had stayed with him but after the night before…he understood.

Suddenly there was a big crashing noise upstairs causing the ginger to jump in surprise. Had it started already?

Then there were more noises almost like people were wrestling upstairs and a low very recognizable moaning noise. Ron closed his eyes tightly shut for some reason he didn't think he could listen to it. He put his hands over his ears as a high pitched howl rang through the whole estate.

Ron felt sick to his stomach as he heard the animalistic noises upstairs…no matter how bad Draco had been his entire life he didn't think anyone deserved this. It was like suddenly he realized what Neville had been thinking about Snape…not that the old potions master was in the same position but Ron had finally understood.

And he did his best to ignore the pain in his chest and another howl echoed through the place.

Then suddenly it was quiet.

It scared Ron how silent it had gone…he slowly got up and walked to the stairs waiting to see if he could hear anything. There wasn't any noise.

He slowly got closer to the locked up room and finally heard a noise. A small whimpering noise was coming from the room.

"You alright?" Ron asked not knowing if maybe Draco would be able to speak…he knew that most werewolves were able to speak but he didn't know if they had needed to transform multiple times and get used to their new forms.

There was a low hoarse growl before there was a sudden hacking sound much like choking and then a small whine of pain. It caused Ron to think that maybe the transformation had caused some of the blondes already healing wounds to worsen and maybe caused a few more.

He heard ripping noises and idly wondered what the room was going to look like before there was another whine and he then wondered what Draco would look like.

A low hoarse rumble came from the room and Ron almost swore he heard his name in the midst of it.

"Draco, are you alright?" Ron suddenly very worried put his hand against the door and listened intensely.

"Yes." The voice made Ron's stomach jolt it didn't sound like the blonde anymore. It sounded so hoarse and deathly that he thought maybe the blonde shouldn't be trying to speak at all. It was painful.

He felt the same feeling he had before, no one deserved this. This made him think of his brother, he had never been there for Bill, but then again he didn't fully change and their family always saw each other around the moon's schedule.

It made himself feel steadily guilty about his brother as he heard more whimpering from the room. He thought of Lupin who had done this since he was a kid…and had to live with this his whole life. Tears fell from his eyes and hit the floor with his fist. Even after the Dark Lord is defeated everyone would still have to live with this and the harsh treatment from others.

He felt himself sobbing and he didn't bother to be quiet about it. He hadn't cried in so long and he felt that some part of him needed this. He took a deep breath and put his hand on the door again.

"I'm here Draco." He said letting the tears fall down his face. Maybe throughout all of this he would be of use to somebody.

XXX

"Snape!" Neville shouted as soon as he closed the door behind him looking for the other man. There wasn't anyone in the room he noted bitterly.

He didn't want to think about how weird he felt without the greasy haired man there. It was strange looking into the empty room; he looked at the boiling, soon to be dumped, potions.

He decided to actually look at them for some reason. He wouldn't be able to know what they were but maybe the man would come soon. Not that he ever knew when Snape would be there.

He looked into a strange pink one…it had a rather nice smell and he wondered idly if maybe the man had been brewing a love potion. He kept going down the row of boiling cauldrons and saw a salty smelling yellow one, there were some more but Neville never had the chance to look at the rest them because someone clearing their voice had startled him so much he had jumped into the table holding the pink and yellow potions and fell with them and the cauldrons broke and the potions went everywhere mixing together and he fell right into the middle of it.

"Longbottom!" He heard the familiar voice bellow before everything went black.

"Mr. Longbottom." Snape patted the teen's face waving a vile underneath his nose.

"Sev…er…us…" Neville groaned before his eyes widened staring straight at Snape.

"I don't think I ever gave you permission to call me that Longbottom." There was a sigh of relief that Neville thought he might have imagined as he noticed he was lying on the floor and Snape was sitting beside him.

"I didn't ask." Neville blushed realizing that he had used the man's first name. Then he noticed Snape's expression change and he sat up quickly looking at himself…nothing seemed different. "What happened?"

"You dumped some of my potions for me." Snape stood up. "I never knew you were so considerate…Neville…"

His face had to be the reddest its ever been and Neville really didn't want to know why it had affected him so. He was so busy staring intently at the floor he didn't notice the older man frown.

"You should be okay, the pink one was a simple fainting potion and the yellow one wasn't mature enough to do any harm." The old potions master started walking toward the portrait, seeing his back made Neville scramble up.

"Professor I need to tell you something." He ran up to him; Snape had stopped but didn't turn around.

"Mr. Longbottom…" Neville ignored how much he didn't like that. "You shouldn't get confused."

That really didn't help Neville but instead of asking what the bloody hell Snape was talking about then walked over and stood in front of him. He had grown taller so he was almost as tall as the older man.

"I need to tell you something." He said again trying to search the dark coal eyes with his hazel eyes.

"Neville…" Snape said again in a tone that made the younger boy think that maybe he had read his mind and knew the disappointment he had felt earlier. It still didn't stop the blush from forming on his cheeks. "I want you to be careful."

He was so taken off guard that he didn't bother stopping the older man from leaving. The way Snape had said it…he couldn't be sure but…it was like a warning for something coming up.

XXX

The first thing Ron noticed was that he was very uncomfortable. He moved then remembered the night before, he had fallen asleep on the stairs. He sat up quickly ignoring his groaning muscles and could see sun light seeping through underneath the door. He quickly unlocked the door and threw it open.

There on the middle of the floor was the even more battered form of Draco. He slowly walked towards him. "Draco?" There were splintered wood and broken shackles around the room.

The form moaned but didn't move. Ron immediately was at his side and moved Draco so he was on his back. The blonde's cloths were torn in such a way that made Ron think he had grown very large. Then suddenly grey eyes opened and the mouth twitched with a smile.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked hoarsely wondering what was wrong with his voice, though he knew that…it was probably the battered site in front of him.

Suddenly Draco lifted his hand and put it against Ron's face surprising the ginger.

"You're eyes are swollen." Draco said quietly, speaking for the first time no higher than a whisper. "Why were you crying?"

"Because…" Ron pressed his face against the blonde's touch enjoying it openly. "No one deserves it."

Blue eyes stared down at the grey eyes. Ron doesn't know why he did it, maybe it was Draco's hand against his face or maybe it was all of the emotions he had bottled up being released the night before but he found himself leaning forward and pressing his lips quickly against the blonde's.

Realizing what he had done he quickly pulled back but kept his eyes on Draco's waiting for a reaction. The blonde was staring at him wide-eyed.

Ron quickly picked up the battered teen and all but threw him into the battered bed, he grabbed the least torn blanket he could find from underneath the bed and threw it over the blonde before running out of the room as quickly as he could.

What the bloody hell was going on?

Ron stopped in the kitchen and before he could give proper thought to his current situation suddenly a cup fell from the shelf causing the teen to jump. He walked over to the broken cup and for some reason that reminded him of Harry, Hermione and Neville. Weren't they planning some kind of raid today?

Ron knew he had a tendency to be a tad superstitious but he couldn't help but feel worried about everyone out there.

XXX

"Okay…" Moody mumbled as Shacklebolt, Mr. Weasley and Harry stood around a small map on a table. "This is one of the Dark Lords supposed strong holds, we should run into a few Death Eaters but I believe we can get it for the Order pretty easily." He was pointing at a small town on the map.

"Plus we will be pushing them farther away from Hogwarts." Shacklebolt looked toward Harry to get his opinion.

"Okay, we should get going." Harry stood straight up. "And don't forget to try and capture Snape if he shows up."

All of the men nodded before leaving the small tent they were in and seeing Neville and Hermione talking together he went over to tell them the plan.

But before any of them had finished revealing their ideas there were Death Eaters all around them. Everyone stared in shock for a second before the yelling started.

"Change of plan I guess." Neville watched in awe as Harry smirked and ran towards them throwing sparks with his wand and blocking hexes. And then everything began to happen so fast like most of their battles seemed to.

He was throwing hexes, body-binds, crazy-legs and stunning ones. He had pushed Hermione out of the way in time for one but it had still cut him across the arm causing him to hiss.

He quickly hit one of the Death Eaters closest to him shouting "Stupify!" causing them to fly away.

Luna had tackled him later to dodge a curse and suddenly everything went silent. Neville looked around and couldn't help but remembered his dream as everyone was fighting around him. He saw Dean Thomas fall to the ground in pain but the Death Eaters didn't seem to be doing so well against all of them.

Luna smiled at him before frowning and then she was thrown back by a spell. Neville wondered what she had been looking at.

Mr. Weasley had apparently sent two of them away with a few flicks of his wand almost like he had forced-apparated them. He had a strange mad expression on his face.

But he still couldn't hear anything and his eyes became fuzzy and that was when he noticed he was bleeding…he couldn't tell from where but there was blood falling from him he coughed standing up noticing that everyone seemed to be going farther away.

He stood up and then suddenly there was a Death Eater mask in front of him and Neville felt something hit body and he idly wondered why he couldn't feel anything. Everything seemed to be slowing down now too…

Suddenly everything went black.

"Neville!"

Harry stopped and looked back to watch one of his best friends fall over covered in a strange amount of blood and a blank expression on his face. His heart started pounding when he noticed the Death Eater walking towards Neville.

He ran as fast as he could toward the fallen teen.

He yelled hexes hitting the Death Eater and stopping him from getting any closer and then threw him away with one last curse but no matter how fast he ran he didn't think he was running fast enough. His stomach felt gone and his heart pounding in his throat.

His eyes widened and he stopped quickly as soon as another Death Eater appeared right beside Neville and before Harry could hit him with anything the Death Eater and Neville were gone causing Harry to fall to his knees.

He could hear the people cheering behind him letting him know that all of the Death Eaters were gone but the site of Harry on his knees staring ahead of himself made Hermione stop and run beside him.

"Harry, were you hit by anything?" She asked quickly looking him over.

"They took Neville!" Luna suddenly shouted uncharacteristically speaking for Harry as she got up, tears forming in her eyes and her nose bled freely.

XXX


	3. Adrenaline

Chapter 3

XXX

Ron starred wide-eyed at the door of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Someone was knocking rather harshly and quickly onto it. The red-head quickly ran to it and looked out the window beside the door. He felt his eyes grow larger yet and he flew backwards trying to figure out he had just seen.

"Mr. Weasley open the door! I do not know how much longer your friend can last!" The voice was urgent…panicked…and coming from the ex-professor Snape. He was holding up a battered Neville. The tone of his voice made Ron throw open the door and let them in and closing the door quickly after them.

He felt a sudden dread that he had invited the man into Number 12…he was going to get into trouble.

"Weasley!" The voice boomed causing Ron to run after him. He finally noticed the state that Neville was in as Snape placed him on the kitchen table. He had a large gash going from one side of his head then across his forehead to the other side right above his ear. His nose was bleeding and there were bruises all over him. It was bothering Ron, how motionless the other teen was.

"How do I know its really him and you're not sneaking your friends in here." Ron asked angrily.

"Then you're doomed Weasley because you already let us in with no way to defend yourself." Snape stated quickly and coolly.

Ron stared at him eyes-wide and then Snape pointed his wand to the defenseless red-head and said something he wasn't expecting.

"If you want Neville alive as much as I do then I suggest you start getting me what I tell you." Ron nodded dumbly.

"I won't be able to touch him though." Ron started placing items that Snape told him to get on the table as far from Neville as possible. "So if any of this requires touching him you're going to have to do it."

Ron noted that Snape didn't even argue or ask why…he got the sudden impression that the man might have been there the night was tortured and given the Mark but he helped as much as he could nonetheless. For Neville's sake.

Snape had finished mixing whatever he had been making and then lifted the unconscious teen up more gently than Ron would have thought possible for the older man and started forcing the strange blue-ish purple liquid down his mouth. Ron watched worriedly but nothing was happening and then suddenly the kitchen door burst open.

Ron stared wide-eyed at Harry before looking at Snape and then back at Harry noticing that the other teen was doing the same. Moody and Mr. Weasley were suddenly on Snape pulling him back and throwing him back. "He needs to drink all of it!" Snape shouted not struggling against the other larger men.

That's when they noticed Neville lying on the table motionless.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted and the girl along with Luna both ran into the kitchen quick surprised glances at the still frozen Ron but went straight to Neville and Luna went to grab bandages and ointments as Hermione lifted the unconscious head up and started giving him the rest of the potion.

Ron watched everyone else leave, his father and Moody dragging Snape out of the kitchen. He wasn't going to follow.

"What bloody happened Ron?" Hermione had there tears in her eyes making sure that Neville drank up the last of it.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "He was suddenly at the door banging and yelling and when I saw Neville…" he didn't keep going and noticed Luna wiping her eyes. "What happened?"

"We thought they had taken him away." Luna said quietly wiping the blood off of Neville. "Dean is injured pretty badly too and…" The tears started again. "Oh Neville…"

Hermione looked worriedly at Luna. "I can finish that Luna you need to go sit down or something." But the blonde just shook her head and bandaged up the boy's head.

"We were taken by surprise." Hermione looked over at Ron, "We had just figured everything out that we were going to do and then a lot of them just showed up. It was scary but there were more of us than them. I guess they thought there weren't going to be that many of us…"

A giant sigh of relief and she put the empty bowl down and then collapsed in a chair covering her eyes with her hands. "You should have seen the look on Harry's face when he thought they had taken Neville, Ron. You should have seen it. And Shacklebolt's been injured as well…" She stopped suddenly and looked at Ron.

"What about last night? How was Draco?" She had confused Ron for a second and it took him a bit to catch up to her thought process.

"He's okay." He said grimly. "The room's torn to pieces but he's sleeping it all off right now." He hoped he was still sleeping because he honestly hadn't checked on him since Snape had arrived.

"Good." She nodded before deciding to help Luna with bandaging Neville. "Ron…could you get him some new cloths? And maybe your father…" She added as an after thought. "He's going to need to be changed and I don't think Luna and I are in the condition to be lifting him up."

Ron nodded before quickly walking out of the kitchen and noticing how fresh the air seemed as soon as he walked through the door. Suddenly Seamus was there and his Mum along with the twins and Ginny; all of them looking at him to explain the situation.

"Ron what is going on, where's your father?" Mrs. Weasley looked around urgently when she noticed how pale her son's face was.

"Its alright he's upstairs with Snape." He answer quieted everyone. "Fred and George", Ron looked at them, "Neville's in the kitchen in pretty bad shape…could you grab something to change him into and help Hermione and Luna?" He asked and instantly they vanished before his eyes, apparating.

Ron suddenly felt very sick as all the excitement caught up to him. "Mum." Mrs. Weasley looked torn between running upstairs and checking on the men with Snape or going into the kitchen to help out with Neville. "I think they got it upstairs," he said choosing for her. "They could probably use help with Neville he's pretty bad."

She quickly went into the kitchen and Ginny followed but not before giving Ron a worried glance.

Seamus looked at Ron uncomfortably. "Hermione probably needs you right now mate." Ron looked at him seriously before heading toward the stairs to a quieter room.

But before he slid into Draco's room he noted that his dad and Moody seemed to be whispering harshly at each other…that meant Harry was in the room alone.

"What's going on?" Draco asked as soon as Ron opened the door and then shut himself in.

"I see you're awake then." Ron sighed, he had really been hoping that the blonde would be sleeping.

"What is it?" Draco hissed quietly. "There's a lot of noise and I thought I heard…"

"Snape's being interrogated right now." Ron interrupted him collapsing into his usual chair. That was when he realized that he would have been able to touch Snape…hit him or something. The older wizard had the Dark Mark too! He groaned loudly and put his hand over his face then noticing that Draco had been talking to him.

"Is he going to be okay?" That was the only part Ron caught. He opened one eye and saw the worried expression the blonde was giving him and something tugged at his chest.

"I…don't know." Ron admitted honestly. "Though from the looks of it he might have saved Neville…" Hopefully he added as a thought.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but then decided against it. He eyed the red-head cautiously and then looked at the shut door. It seemed that Ron really didn't know or comprehend what was going on at the moment.

"Then how about you tell me about this morning instead, I haven't forgotten it just so you know." Draco looked at Ron watching as the teen froze instantly at his words. Ron peaked at Draco through one eye.

"I…" He started but then closed his mouth. "I honestly don't know about that either." His face flushed and his ears burned red. What was he going to say? He really liked the way Draco had touched his face and he acted on it? That just seemed too weird!

"Come sit right here." Draco ordered catching the ginger off-guard yet again. Ron slowly and cautiously moved from his chair to sit in front of the blonde on the bed. "It's because I can touch you isn't it?" And as if to prove his point Draco suddenly put his arms on Ron's shoulders, but his expression still remained rather blank.

Ron flushed and sputtered before closing his eyes.

"You're the first person to cry for me you know…" Draco suddenly whispered in Ron's ear; "Other than my mother." The air coming from Draco's mouth was hot and moist and it made Ron's mouth feel dry. He tried to swallow.

Blue eyes opened and looked over the blonde's beaten body. "Doesn't it hurt you to move?" he asked quietly trying to ignore the hands on his shoulders.

"Very much;" said Draco, coolly as if he wasn't in any pain at all. "So you shouldn't fight back."

And before Ron could respond there were surprising soft lips against his and he felt himself getting pushed backwards so that his back was on the bed. It was warm and his body welcomed it before his mind had time to process anything. He put one of his hands in the blonde's hair and returned the kiss rather roughly enjoying the feeling of it. But his other hand had stopped midway to Draco's side…what they hell were they doing? Ron stopped and pulled back, what the bloody hell was going on? And he tried to ignore the fact that was body was telling him; 'if not now then there better be a later!'.

Draco noticing the red-heads sudden reluctance opened his cool grey eyes, that he had closed in the midst of it, and stared at blue ones questioningly. Ron hoped that it was confusion that flashed through the blonde's eyes and that maybe neither of them really knew what they were doing.

Draco sat up, obviously disliking Ron's reaction. He flopped back down onto his torn pillows and sighed causing another tug at Ron's chest.

"I'm sorry." Ron sat up and noticed that the blonde was facing away from him. He didn't like that.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise above them that had Ron on his feet and out the door ignoring the fact that Draco had turned to look at him now.

XXX

"What's going on?" Ron couldn't go far up the stairs because the stairwell was too small and would make him too close to the other people.

"I don't know." Ron realized his Dad seemed to really want to jump into the room right now. But now that he was in the hallway he could hear Harry and Moody shouting at either Snape or, Ron raised an eyebrow, at each other.

"Where is everyone else then?" Ron asked quickly, he had noticed for the capture of Snape and probably soon, an emergency meeting there were still quiet a few people missing.

"McGonaggal went to Hogwarts to talk to Neville's Gran." Mr. Weasley looked at his son and Ron could tell he was running on adrenaline. "All of the injured people are there too but Bill and Lupin, if their up to it, should be on their way here."

"Who…" but before Ron could finish asking about who had gotten injured Hermione was up the stairs, not getting too close when she noticed Ron but her expression looked like she needed to be held up or she was going to fall over soon.

"He's not breathing."

Ron didn't asked anything and doesn't remember why but he pushed himself as thinly as he could go against the wall and moved past his father that was asking Hermione questions, ignoring the sharp pain in his wrist when he had gotten a little close. He ran up the rest of the way and threw the door open surprising Harry and Moody…and Ron noted with a little satisfaction that he had even surprised Snape.

"Something's wrong with Neville." Ron gasped out.

"Did you poison him?" Harry hissed at Snape who was bound to a strange sort of chair. Moody walked up to the man and pointed his wand at him.

"No…" Snape had new cuts and bruises on him but Ron noted mentally, seemed to be more worried about Neville. "It was for internal bleeding."

Harry cursed loudly and for one of the first times in a long time he looked like he didn't know what to do. Ron wondered idly if the last time had been when he himself had been captured.

"Let me look at the boy…" Snape started but stopped when he was interrupted by Moody.

"Like hell we will! You've done enough to him." But his words only seemed to make the old potions master angry.

"Fine." Harry stopped both of them and they looked at him surprised. "But if you can't save him then same goes for you."

At first it looked like Moody was going to argue but when he heard the threat he kept his mouth shut. But Ron noted how Snape didn't look worried about his own life at all. He quickly ran out of the door and down the stairs, he was going to make room for them in the kitchen.

"Get away from him, their bringing Snape down." Ron staying in the doorway of the kitchen shouted quickly. Everyone was talking, crowded around the fallen teen and they had all looked up to him surprised.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had quickly gotten everyone to the other side of the kitchen when Ron walked in to let the other's through but as soon as Snape was in the kitchen he left his spot beside Moody and went straight to Neville on the table.

He bent down over the boy putting his head against his chest. Ron watched him stand there with his head on Neville's chest sliding his hand towards the teen's throat. His facial expression hadn't changed since he had walked into the room.

Ron's throat tightened when he thought about how intimate they looked there…if it had been under any other sort of circumstance…of course.

Everyone's eyes widened when Snape had brought his hands up and slammed them down on Neville's chest with a loud smack. And suddenly Arthur was pulling him back again with Moody.

"What are you getting at?" Mr. Weasley growled.

Ron could feel shock in every once of his body and from every body else's faces…they felt the same.

Suddenly there was a coughing noise and everyone's eyes went to Neville's now shaking form as he kept coughing and then a large gasp of air. The light brown haired boy started to stir but Harry, Hermione and Luna were beside him in a second, Luna had gotten on top of the table to inspect him.

"Don't sit up Neville, you're injured." Harry was looking over him relieved.

Ron seemed to be the only one that noticed that Neville had been staring past them at Snape the entire time and worded silently with his mouth. "Thanks".

XXX

Ron couldn't leave the kitchen, he sighed. After the excitement of this evening they had moved Neville into the bedroom across from Draco's but then it seemed one by one everyone was running out of the adrenaline they had been running on and falling asleep in random places.

The living room was full of people and even people on the floor. Ron sighed as he peaked out the door, he wasn't chancing walking over that mess.

"They'll all wake up when they get uncomfortable." Bill laughed as his brother sighed again. Lupin didn't make it because Tonks was almost due and they had decided to stay together for the time being. Ron had filled Bill, McGonaggal, Fluer and Hagrid in on all the news. Dean had been there, not in very good shape but McGonaggal had sent him back right away to tell Neville's Gran.

"It's alright." Ron mumbled, he didn't really feel like going back up stairs as soon as he remembered someone that might be waiting for him and hoped idly that Draco wasn't expecting him.

Bill had already spoken with the blonde but thankfully the conversation seemed to stay on werewolves because his older brother hadn't asked him anything. He flushed just thinking about it and could feel his ears and neck start to burn when he thought about how much he had enjoyed it. He quickly hid his face in his hands hoping it just made him look like he was tired too.

"But e'll be alright?" Hagrid was talking to Mr. Weasley who looked more tired and beaten than Ron had ever seen his father.

"He's got a few rather deep cuts and a few broken ribs." At the last part his voice had changed and Ron figured Snape had hit the other teen a lot harder than he thought, "But all of the bleeding has stopped, I don't know when he'll wake up for visitors though."

"An' this Snape… saved 'im?" It was Fluer now…her English had gotten a lot easier to understand but her accent still seemed as thick as ever.

"Yes, though I can't figure out why." Mr. Weasley nodded and looked over to McGonaggal who looked like she would like to know the reason as well.

Bill gave Ron a quick look as if to ask if Ron would tell them about what Neville had told him, Harry and Hermione a few nights ago but Ron shook his head. It wasn't his place to explain any of that.

XXX

It had been three days Ron sat quietly on a chair beside Neville's bed. Three days and he still hadn't woken up again since the day he had come in.

It had also been three days since he had spoken to Draco but every time Ron had finally mustered up the courage someone was in the room talking to the blonde. It had been quiet annoying the last few times.

He watched as Alastair Moody walked loudly down the stairs. Snape was still locked into his room, probably still tied up in that chair…Ron tried not to think about it. Number 12 was busy again; it seemed to be happening a lot.

Harry seemed to have accepted Snape after Neville had woken up the first time but no one else in the Order seemed to be as quick as Harry. Ron figured that if Harry trusted him, everyone else should bloody well trust him too.

Dumbledore certainly had.

Ron tried not to think about how the old professor ended up with that trust.

"Ron, you can take a break." He looked up to see Luna smiling softly like she usually did. She seemed to watch Neville the most, which made Ron want to ask her a few questions.

He got up and moved away from the chair so she could sit down. Her eyes went to Neville but they still had their happy gleam.

"Um…Luna?" He waited for her to look at him. "What…is Neville to you?" He had been wondering since he had seen her sobbing over Neville's body when she was bandaging him up.

"Oh, Hermione asked me the same the yesterday." She smirked a little in her Luna way and spoke as if it was such a silly topic. "I guess people must think that I'm in love with him or something."

"Are you?" Ron asked a little surprised.

"Of course." She laughed a little airily at his reaction of shock. "But not in the way you and Hermione think. I love him…" She looked at Neville and grabbed his hand. "He's like the brother I've always wanted, he is."

"Oh." Ron smiled a little.

"Now if you asked me about that Dean Thomas character…" Luna laughed a little blushing causing Ron's eyes to widen.

He decided that no…he didn't want to ask about Dean and darted out of the room ignoring her light heated giggle.

He looked across the hall and saw Harry speaking with Draco. The blonde suddenly looked at him which caused to ginger to freeze. Ron looked at Harry who was still talking to the blonde not noticing that the blonde was looking out into the hall. 'Tonight' Ron read the blondes lips but before he could respond Draco looked back at Harry and started responding to what he said.

Ron stood there for a second…did that mean he was supposed to visit the blonde tonight? Was that after dinner or after everyone went to bed? Probably meant that people were planning on leaving…

"You lost Ron?" he looked down the stairs to see Fred and George smirking at him.

"Hey, when did you guys get back?" He asked smiling.

"We've come to get everyone to leave you alone." Fred grinned.

"We think that their forgetting to do their duties and been hanging out too long." George grinned at the exact same time. He could tell from there voice that they were joking.

"Well about time." Ron tried to sound serious, "How can I be lonely if all of you keep showing up out of the blue with injured people? You couldn't bring me someone decent AND conscious could you?"

"We wouldn't be able to get them to agree to hang out with you if they were both DECENT and CONCIOUS, Ron." George said sarcastically causing Ron to laugh.

"Oi. Don't forget me now." Ron looked down behind the twins surprised. His older brother Charlie was standing there looking playfully annoyed.

"Charlie!" Ron saw Ginny come and hug him from behind. It tugged at his chest.

"Well we really did come to get people." Fred said suddenly whispering to Ron but keeping his distance. "Charlie's brought his friends and they have an idea…but they're all staying at Hogwarts right now."

Ron nodded glad that Fred was letting him in on it before it happened. He moved back into the room with Luna and Neville as they all passed to get Harry. Charlie winked at him as he passed.

By dinner time it was only Ron, Draco, unconscious Neville and somehow Snape still locked upstairs with no one guarding him. It had bothered Ron at first but he knew that they needed everyone they could use for the raids and if Harry trusted the potions master then he had decided to do so as well.

But he still felt extremely unguarded even if Moody had taken away Snape's wand.

He finished the food and started carrying it upstairs. He looked into Neville's room to see the teen still lying down rather still but breathing evenly. He put a plate down in front of Draco's room and kept going up the stairs…he had a feeling once he started talking to the blonde it might be a while before he's able to get out. He stopped in front of the room holding Snape.

He really didn't know what to expect…would the man still be tied to the chair? Or would there be a bed there now and he was just under house arrest…but being good and not leaving the room even though he could easily?

He opened the door to see Snape sitting on a chair that looked a lot more comfortable than the one he had been in before. But that was all that was in the room.

"Mr. Weasley." The older man nodded toward the red-head.

"Here's dinner." Ron slowly and carefully handed him the plate.

"Thank you." Now what had caught Ron by surprise. He eyed the man warily. "How is Mr. Longbottom?"

"You could go check yourself…you don't look tied up." Ron stated rather flatly still eyeing the man.

"I would have but I didn't know if you would feel more comfortable if I stayed here." The black haired man drawled out smoothly and still a rather sarcastic hint to his voice.

"Harry trusts you." Ron decided to leave it at that and left the room to go give Draco his food. He left the door open behind him.

Picking up the plate he knocked once and entered the room closing the door behind him.

"About time." Draco said in such a way Ron knew he didn't mean anything by it.

"You hungry?" He showed him the plate with a sandwich on it. But the blonde just shook his head. Ron walked closer and put the plate on his usual chair and sat on the bed a little out of reach for the blonde.

"How's Pro….Snape?" Draco looked at Ron a little uncomfortably. The red-head would have smirked at the slip if he hadn't kept doing it himself with all the other professors.

"Do you want to visit him?" Ron motioned his head for upstairs. "There's a lot going on so it's just us, him and ole' unconscious Neville."

"That's okay." The blonde's tone made the red-head think that visiting Snape was the last thing he wanted to do, which had stuck him odd…considering how much it seemed Snape had risked his own neck to help the blonde.

There were was an awkward silence.

"How are things going then?" Ron figured the blonde would know exactly what he was talking about. Bill had been keeping Ron from being able to visit the blonde for the past few days.

Draco had gone pale again and had a sickly green tint to him. Ron decided not to bring it up again but his mind went straight to the morning after Draco's transformation…and…

Suddenly he was on his back on the bed again. He looked up at Draco who seemed rather tense and angry.

"Don't say anything…" He hissed quietly ignoring the look Ron gave him. He sighed heavily suddenly lying against the ginger. "Don't…"

Draco sighed frowning at himself as he lay on top of the other teen. This seemed to be the only thing he could keep constant. He did his best to ignore the eldest Weasley's words and Lupin's. He didn't want to think about what had happened to him…he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

Ron had been the first person in so long that had seemed to want his company. Hiding with Snape had been awful and quiet. They never spoke and he lived in fear every time the professor had left him alone.

He had gotten caught again and…He closed his eyes tightly. Lupin had been a better travel partner since they both couldn't do much but the entire time he would never look the blonde in the eye and… This thing that was with Ron…he almost felt guilty how the ginger was only able to touch him and not his family.

The blonde tried not to think about his own and ignored how his eyes stung when he thought about his mother. Draco tensed when two arms wrapped around him. He didn't look at Ron.

Then there were warm hands on his face pulling him to look at the red-head's bright blue eyes. And they were kissing again but it was too gentle and Draco tried to deepen it and move to get a more comfortable position. He moved his hands over the other teen's arms and the ginger seemed to not mind how much they were touching. In fact he seemed to be enjoying it.

Draco liked the power he had over the other boy. He pushed back the thoughts that he might be taken advantage of the red-head.

He put his pale hand against the other teens face and slid a finger up his jaw line causing the red-head to make a noise that he decided he enjoyed. He moved his hands down the taller boy's chest feeling his heart beating wildly. The pounding made Draco's hands tingle and he continued down and slipped his hands under the bottom of Ron's shirt.

This had caught the other boy off guard and he opened his eyes, which had been closed, and stared at Draco. The blonde smirked and bent over pushing his hands up the now bare chest. Ron's heart seemed to want to break out.

He kept his eyes on the bright blue one's watching him. Ron swallowed nervously and pulled one of arms around Draco once again pulling the blonde closer to him. The blonde instantly went into the kiss enjoying how breathless they were becoming.

But then suddenly their door opened and they both froze.

"Ah." Neither of them moved to look at who had opened the door. They could recognize the voice very easily and they heard Snape close the door.

XXX

Neville opened his eyes and it took them a moment to adjust. He tried to stay as quiet as possible when he saw Snape sitting in the chair beside his bed and…sleeping; or at least his eyes were closed. Neville noted the new bruises and scrapes across the older man's face.

He felt himself flush at the strangely peaceful view he had even with the bruises Snape did look rather peaceful. The sudden rush of blood must have disagreed with his body because a sharp pain to his side caused him to hiss. He looked up again and Snape had one eye open looking at him. His mouth in a thin line.

"You shouldn't move very much, your body won't appreciate it." The smooth coarse voice spoke.

"I didn't ask you." Neville groaned before trying to lift himself up. "Help me will you or do you enjoy this little show?"

Suddenly there where cool hands on him helping him sit up and arranging the pillows behind him. "Thanks…" As soon as he finished mumbling there was a cold hand on his forehead causing hazel eyes to look up at the dark coal ones. "Uh…"

"Figured you must have a fever." He went to move his hand but before Neville had realized he had done it he grabbed the older man's hand and kept it pressed against his forehead. He turned bright red immediately when Snape had risen his eyebrow.

"Felt nice…" Neville mumbled again when he let go of the older man's hand and it moved away slowly. There was a pause of strangely non-awkward silence.

Snape stayed standing next to the bed, he had gotten up to help Neville sit up. They sat in the silence and Neville's eyes looked around the room. "How long have I been out? And how'd you manage to stay alive?" With the last question he smirked up at the older man.

"I believe almost four days…" The smooth cold voice made something lurch in Neville's chest. "And I believe it must have been saving you…"

A short pause but they were looking straight at each other.

"Might have saved me…" Neville could feel his heart quicken in his chest. He didn't know all the details but being there, he realized that he didn't care.

"I'm glad that I could be of some use to you eventually then, sir." He spoke sarcastically trying to mimic a much younger version of himself. And in amazement as well as shock Neville heard Snape snort.

"Now Mr. Longbottom, I believe you are rubbing off on me." His expression was flat again instantly but there was a certain amount of amusement in his voice.

"That's no good." Neville started very seriously. "Soon you'll be no good at potions too!"

And for the first time ever, Neville was not terrified when the old potions master smiled.

XXX

Neville sighed longingly staring at the kitchen table. It had been a few days and he was finally able to move around but they strangely hadn't heard from anyone. He couldn't ignore the strange feeling he got from the lack of news. But things seemed to be happening and he tried to work them out in his mind.

His large hazel eyes watched as Ron Weasley walked into the kitchen and started rummaging for food. Normally Neville would have like to start a conversation, maybe remind the ginger that he wasn't the only one stuck in Number 12 Grimmauld Place anymore…because he didn't feel like he should leave without any news from any body.

But there were also other things on his mind.

Well a specific other person to be honest.

For the past few days, while he had been healing, he had always woken up to Snape in his room and would fall asleep with him still in the chair beside the bed. He wondered idly if maybe the older man felt like he owed Neville something. Ron had visited him too and they would talk but the ginger would always act uncomfortable and flustered whenever he looked at Snape.

That had bothered Neville but not as much as his own thoughts. He flushed when he thought about Snape again. Why was the man invading his thoughts so much?

"You alright mate?" Neville looked up to see Ron staring at him a little worried. The guy must have been trying to talk to him for a while.

"Sorry." He smiled causing the other teen to sigh with relief. "I've got a lot on my mind apparently." Not that he didn't have a lot to think about…it was just a new topic had been added to it.

"Want to share? Get a load off?' Ron gingerly sipped his coffee as he sat at the other end of the table away from Neville. But Neville noted that there seemed to be a lot on the red head's mind as well.

Did he really want to share? What if Ron laughed at him? Neville thought letting out a long sigh which caused the red-head to eye him suspiciously. Could he even put it in words? How much he had been thinking of the potions master that saved his life, how much he got flustered whenever the man would speak to him. How much his chest hurt just being around him?

Ron was going to think that he was mental…or Snape took control over his mind or something.

"Well?" Blue eyes watched Neville from across the table and Ron took a large sip of his coffee.

"I think I'm in love with Snape." Neville jumped back as hot coffee was spewed on the table.

"Bloody hell Neville!" There were tears in his eyes as Ron wiped his mouth. He must have burnt himself. He was staring wide-eyed and warily at Neville.

"Sorry!" The brunette went and sat back in his seat watching Ron cautiously. "You asked" he mumbled as an after thought.

"Well…I didn't realize…" Ron paused and watched the other boy slump over and start hitting his head against the table. Obviously Neville hadn't needed that kind of reaction.

"I'm going crazy!" He looked up pathetically at Ron. "This man ruined my time at Hogwarts for me and he's done tons and tons of horrible things but…"

Ron almost asked if maybe this crush had started when Neville had started hiding the man in Hogwarts but as the brunette began hitting his head against the table again he realized that Neville probably had no idea when it started. And then something made him think of Draco…was this kind of like the same thing?

He hated the other boy in school but all these things kept happening and…he hated to admit it but…it was kind of similar in a strange circumstantial kind of way.

"I kissed Draco." He suddenly blurted out and covered his mouth watching for the other teen's expression.

Hazel eye's widened and Neville had stopped hitting his head against the table. "You…and…Ma..Draco?"

Ron nodded slowly wondering if he should have added 'a lot' to the end of that sentence.

"Did you like it?" Neville was staring at him curiously; it seemed that the idea of Ron and Draco snogging wasn't that far fetched to the other teen.

Ron blushed, stuttered and then groaned putting his face in his hands. He peeked through his fingers. "I kind of started it." Ron mumbled knowing he had to be bright red. "So…I figure…I've got no right to judge…your predicament." He finished slowly and Neville flushed.

There was an awkward silence.

"So…have you?" Ron couldn't help himself; he made a small gesture with his hand. "You...know…"

Neville flushed brightly and opened his mouth to say something but closed it and just shook his head before slumping over again. But Ron got the impression that the other teen had been thinking about…it…

Ron really didn't want to think about Snape doing anything…like that…with anyone…

Suddenly the door to the kitchen opened again and there was Draco at the door. He at first looked at Neville with similarly bored eyes and then glanced toward Ron. His lips smirked slightly and Neville watched as Ron blushed before suddenly finding his cup of coffee very interesting.

"Morning Draco." Neville offered the blonde, it was actually the first time he had seen the blonde out of the room…well he had been bed-ridden himself for a bit as well…

But it was an odd feeling to see the blonde standing in the kitchen going through all the cabinets looking for something. He suddenly felt very awkward, maybe it was because he had found out that Draco and Ron had some strange something going on or maybe it was the fact that Ron seemed to be watching the blonde very closely and cautiously but something in the atmosphere made Neville stand up and leave the kitchen and he was pretty sure that neither of them noticed.

Looking up the stairs seemed to remind the brunette that he had, in fact, not seen Snape yet this morning which was the first time since he had been taken to Number 12. He opened his door slowly but there was no one in there he ignored how deflated his chest seemed to feel at the site of Snape's empty chair.

Instead of going into his room he decided to explore the place and find Snape. He looked into Draco's room and his eyes widened at the ripped apart mattress and pillows. The room was a mess and Neville wondered how the bed could be comfortable. He skipped the Drawing Room door and moved on up the stairs and opened the next door. This room had to be Ron's but…Neville flushed at how the room looked like it hadn't been used in a while.

He moved past a few empty rooms and stopped in front of a partially opened door. He slowly pushed it open and peeked his head through. His heart seemed to stop even though blood had rushed to his cheeks. Snape looked like he was sleeping in a chair that was in the middle of the room…and Neville noted rather surprised that it was the only piece of furniture in the room.

He slowly made his way into the room as quietly as he could. He stopped right in front of his old professor. He looked very peaceful even with the bags under his eyes and healing yellowish bruises on his face. His hair had to be the longest Neville had ever seen it, his robes were tattered and the brunette tried not to focus on any of the sickly colored stains on them.

His eyes stopped on the older man's hand and his cheeks flushed as he remembered how nice they had felt against his head when he had first woken up. His eyes went back to Snape's face…he had gotten paler too…then he looked at the older man's lips.

He didn't know why but he could feel his heart hammering into his chest and he got on his knees so that he wasn't standing over the older man. He lifted one of his hands slowly and touched his cheek.

He stopped. Neville stared at Snape and Snape stared at Neville. The second he had touched the man his eyes had flung open. But Neville' not knowing where the bravery came as his heart started pounding heavily in his throat' quickly moved forward grabbing Snape's face with his hands and brought his lips to his in a quick chaste kiss.

He pulled away but only slightly leaving his hands where they were and watched for a reaction.

Snape looked very surprised which made Neville look at him surprised…he hadn't seen so much expression on the other man's face in so long that he really didn't know what to do.

But then Snape's eyes went strangely and eerily soft. Neville didn't want to take his hands off of him because he felt he would regret it if he did. He could feel his hands start to shake more the more nervous he became. He didn't want to take his eyes off of Snape and he didn't know what to do. Neville could feel his throat grow tight and he could feel himself about to cry but he fought against it.

Snape opened his mouth to say something and Neville decided that he didn't want to hear it, he didn't want to know so he quickly moved back forward before any noise could come out of the other man's mouth and kissed Snape again. He kept his lips against Snape's and kept his eyes closed.

He knew he might have been being ridiculous but it was all he could do, he didn't want to know what Snape was thinking or what he was going to say. He stayed very still in this position and wondered momentarily how fast he could make it out of the room.

That seemed to be a better idea than keeping his mouth on Snape's for the rest of his life so he finally let go still not looking at the older man and jumped up on his feet turning around so he could run out of the door but he was too slow. Snape's hand had caught his shaking arm.

Neville decided to stare at the floor now. Snape still hadn't spoken which surprised him. And then suddenly the older man was standing in front of him and Nevilled back away from him still looking at the floor. Then there was a hand on his chest pushing him backwards and before Neville could stop he tripped backwards onto the still warm chair Snape had been sitting on.

He looked up a little scared and Snape had put his hands on the chair's arms leaning above him. Neville's throat tightened again as he wondered if maybe he had ruined any chance of friendship they had, had.

He watched as a pale hand lifted off of the chair's arm and Neville closed his eyes tightly shut preparing to get hit…well really he deserved it for kissing without permission. What he wasn't expecting was to feel a cold hand against his cheek, he gasped looking up wide-eyed at the black-haired man.

"Where did your bravery go Mr. Longbottom?" The cool voice sent shivers down his spine. He did his best to ignore the fact that Snape had used his last name. "Or do I really seem like the type of person who would enjoy something like that?"

Neville didn't respond, his cheeks burning and his heart pounding. Snape's hand was still on his cheek but his voice and face were expressionless.

"Kiss and run?" There was a twist at the ends of Snape's lips that surprised Neville. Then suddenly Snape leaned forward so close to Neville that he could feel his warm breath. "That doesn't seem very like you…" The cool smooth voice spoke seeming to vibrate Neville's bones.

"I honestly haven't tried before…" Neville flushed.

"O-b-v-i-o-u-s-l-y" Snape said in such a way that only he could pull off, "How about a proper one?"

Neville's eyes widened and before he could react Snape had placed his lips on his. He felt his face flush redder than it had ever been before and he lifted a hand to grab hold of the collar of the older man's robes. He felt a tongue run across his lips and opened his mouth letting the old potions master in. He tightened his grip on the collar and didn't even try to stifle a moan.

He could smell the man's hair which strangely reminded him of all the plants he had been growing for the potions master. He could taste him and it was becoming harder for him to even think.

And then Snape pulled away leaving the younger boy gasping for air; panting he stared up at the other man his hand still tight on his collar. "And that Neville, is how you properly kiss someone."

Neville nodded flustered and smiled slightly still trying to figure out if he was going to be in trouble. Snape had used his first name again.

"Should I take you out to dinner then?" He felt himself grinning up at the man.

Snape sighed as if trying to figure out a really hard problem. This made the brunettes heart jump but not in a good way. There was silence as Snape closed his eyes and seemed to be mumbling angrily but…at himself.

Neville didn't like that.

He jumped out of the chair and grabbed the taller man's collar again. Snape grabbed his hands and stopped Neville from pulling him forward.

"Neville…I think…" He started his voice with a different air, Neville decided he didn't want to hear this either…

"I don't care what you think professor." The brunette started nervously interrupting the black-haired man. "I don't care what you're going to say because I think I might like you a lot…and I want you to know that." He swallowed a little shakily, "So unless you're secretly married, dying very soon or…" He paused, 'you really don't like me' he thought bitterly. "I'm not changing my view…on…this…"

"You wouldn't like me if I was dying?" Snape asked raising his eyebrow in interest.

Neville blushed, "I would probably still like you if you were married too…"

They stood there in silence like they had so many times before but Neville thought he was going to go crazy if Snape didn't respond soon.

"Longbottom…" There was a sigh, "Just…I might not be able to stop them from taking you away." But Snape had pressed his lips gently onto Neville's still bandaged forehead. The teen could feel his heart leap as he grabbed the older man and brought their lips together and he figured that he could get used to this…

XXX

Sorry for taking so long to update! I had to recover my computer and I honestly thought I had lost all of the chapters for this…but then it turns out my sister had a copy of it on her computer! Lol yaaaaaaaaaay~

To be continued…

Read and Review please!


	4. Death

XXX

Chapter 4

XXX

Ron couldn't look Neville in the eye for the rest of the day or at least for most of the day anyway.

It was like…because he had told the brunette that him and Draco kissed he felt like every time he saw the boy…Neville would be able to see what else they had done.

He blushed and even though he knew that Neville probably had no idea…maybe it was the fact that he had told the other boy about it. But then again Neville's mood seemed to be different from this morning and Ron really didn't want to know what caused that.

He walked into the drawing room but noticed that there was already someone in there…he paused. Snape was sitting in one of the chairs closest to the bookshelves but was just staring at the books as if he couldn't decide which one to pick. Ron knew that wasn't it and went to the chair he normally claimed by the fire place.

There was still no word from anyone and it was bothering him.

He looked at the fire wishing a head or whole person would appear to tell him something but instead his wrist began to burn. He hissed.

His eye's widened and he looked over at Snape who had hissed at the same time both of them holding onto their wrists. He had totally forgotten that Snape had a mark! Again! Well…he hadn't forgotten but it was something he had known for so long that he had just put it in the back of his head. Then he remembered something he had thought when the other man had brought Neville in…he was there…

Snape looked over at him carefully as if waiting for Ron to do something to him.

Ron stood up and walked over to Snape but the other man stayed seated. He reached out to touch Snape's hand which was the only other visible piece of skin other than his face. Snape pulled back at first but then let Ron reach him.

There was no pain.

Ron stood up and closed his eyes…this just confirmed that the only company he could keep was Death Eaters and this didn't make him feel any better. But he had to get to the point…

"Were you there?" He glared down at the older man. The night he had gotten the mark was flashing back in his mind and he had to close his eyes to will them away.

Snape hadn't answered but the color on his face had drained a little.

"Were you there?" Ron wanted him to say it. He clenched his fists and he could feel his jaw tighten.

Snape looked up at him with his coal eyes and slowly nodded. "Yes."

Ron punched him as hard as he could in the face and grabbed the front of the older man's robes. Wild blue eyes glared and Snape just stared at him silently there was some blood coming out of his lip.. "You!"

"What's going on?" Neville was at the door watching the scene in front of him nervously. Ron noticed he had knocked over Snape's chair and it had probably made some noise. He looked at the older man again, breathing heavily. "You…" He punched him again but this time let go of the man's robes and let him hit the floor. He could feel tears starting to form in his eyes…

"Why?" He asked his voice turning hoarse and he fell to his knees… "Why…"

Neville watched the two of them sitting on the floor Snape looking a little nauseous with a busted lip and nose and Ron struggling not to cry. The brunette was torn. He couldn't help Ron because touching the other person caused him immense pain. He couldn't go to Snape because Ron needed those answers.

Suddenly Draco was beside him looking grumpy and staring at the two of them. Neville tried to ignore the fact that the blonde had growled a little.

"I can't answer that…" Snape's voice was shaky catching the three teens off guard. He wouldn't look at any of them.

Ron wanted to ask why! Why couldn't he answer it? Why couldn't he have stopped them? Wasn't he on their side the whole time?! Why couldn't he have just let them kill him!

He choked at the last thought. What was he thinking? There was no way he'd rather be dead…sometimes it had crossed his mind but…He choked again and this time covered his mouth. He felt sick with himself.

They sat there for what seemed like a few hours but he knew it couldn't have been longer than ten minutes. And then he heard footsteps walking quickly over to them and looked up to see Draco not looking very happy before reaching down and grabbing his left wrist and then pulling him roughly towards Snape. He put his left arm out too so that both of their marks were in front of the older man's face.

"You should know what the difference is then." His voice was soft but both of them could feel the frustration emitting off of the blonde.

Snape's eyes dawned in understanding before getting himself off of the floor. Then he noticed Neville standing at the doorway looking anxious but staring at the floor not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Yes...it's a half Mark." Draco was practically pulling the red-head to his feet and Ron stared at Snape, trying to calm himself. Snape adjusted his tattered dirtied robes. "He had been thinking about trying out his new Mark for a while…" Snape paused and looked at Draco before returning his gaze to Ron. "But under some circumstances he never did."

Ron could feel Draco's hands tighten. "He doesn't give you everything…but you're still attached to him now. He wanted to use this as a way to gain pure-blood allies…obviously not being able to interact with people other than others with the Mark would take its toll eventually…"

"You weren't the first." Neville looked up at the older man whose voice had grown suddenly cold and very bitter. Snape let his eyes wonder. "He of course wanted to make sure that it would work exactly as he planned so he tested it on others…muggles…but even half of the process was too powerful for them and they never made it. I think it might be a little more straining on the body than the Dark Mark is but you were the first wizard and the first to survive it, though you might have not been affected as much as he wanted you to be…"

"What do you mean? Works pretty well if you ask me." Ron started bitterly taking in the news.

"Well I think he wanted it to be unbearable for you to be in a room or maybe even near someone without the Mark yet you've been able to have company pretty well." Coal eyes were calculating. "He's probably adjusted it by now and might have used it on more." His eyes went to Neville and he stared into the hazel eyes.

All four of them stayed silent processing the information.

"But there's no way to reverse it?" Neville asked suddenly reminding Ron and Draco that he was there.

"I don't believe so…" Snape looked down at Ron's wrist again and the red-head held it up for him to see. "The only thing I might be able to do is turn it into a full Dark Mark but even I'm not sure of the whole process…and it could take weeks. I wouldn't even be able to guess the toll it could take on your body and since I've never done it before I don't even know how it might turn out. It could get worse instead of better…"

Ron looked up, that didn't sound like good news at all.

XXX

"Don't do anything to it." Ron looked over at Draco who was slightly glaring at him. They were lying down on the blonde's bed just staring at the roof, not touching.

"Why not?" The red-head asked him, his lips thinning into a line. He had been thinking about it but…

"What would you do if it got worse?" The blonde spat out bitterly. "What if messing with it only makes it exactly how the Dark Lord wanted it? You might not be able to touch your family now but what if you couldn't even look at them?"

Ron's breath hitched, he hadn't thought of that…his mum would…he didn't want to think about…

"He doesn't even have faith to do it; he was just offering it up as an idea." The blonde continued. "What if…if…we…" but he didn't continue and slid his hand into the ginger's.

Ron watched Draco glare at the ceiling frustrated. What would happen if he couldn't even be in the same room as the blonde? Could that happen…could his Mark get that much worse? He didn't even know how to explain what was going on between them but…

"I couldn't stand it." Draco said suddenly still glaring at the ceiling. "I don't know what this is…us…whatever…" He squeezed Ron's hand. "But I don't want to go back to how it was before…"

"Neither do I." Ron finally spoke causing the blonde to look at him. "I don't know what we're doing either but I don't want to go back to the way it was before…or worse…"

Draco pulled the red-head toward him and kissed him roughly.

"Good."

XXX

"I'm telling you I'm alright!" Neville tried to keep his voice normal; he closed his eyes leaning against the table with his hands clenched. "I'm ready to go back and besides, Professor Sprout and I were working on a project."

Luna looked away from him gloomily. "Sorry."

"I…" Neville didn't want to upset her but he was really alright! And he needed to get back to the plants if they wanted to use them as soon as possible. "It's alright Luna but you know as well as I do that I need to go back. I just can't…"

But then Harry walked into the room talking hushed and rushed with Hermione, both of them looked like they could use a few years of sleep causing the brunette to feel a little guilty. He had been relaxing here when there was a war going on.

"Hey guys what's going on?" Luna smiled immediately when she noticed them. Harry and Hermione looked at both of them…their expressions showed that they felt they walked in on something without realizing.

"Um…Ron just told us about the mark and we were wondering…about it…" Hermione smiled softly at them.

"We think we might be able to use the Marks to confuse the Death Eaters in battle." Harry ran a tired hand through his hair. "The only problem is that Ron can't get too close to people and it seems no one really trusts Draco or Snape." He mumbled the last part.

"Well then it would be good time to prove that they can help us." Neville stated rather bitterly back. "Snape…"

"No matter what we think most of the _others_ think…" Harry quickly interrupted emphasis on the 'others' in such a way that Neville thought he was trying not to say 'adults' or 'the old people that need to move aside'. "They don't want him involved just yet even if they are using all the information he gives them."

"Then we'll just ask Draco." Neville tried to answer quickly and hide the tone in his voice. "He'll help us and I'm better too so I'll be joining you guys again." He added not looking at the blonde girl beside him.

"Oh good." Hermione sighed relieved. "Professor Sprout really misses you and I'm pretty sure she's tired of saving the plants after other people try to help."

"But only if your sure." Harry looked a little doubtful at the teen's still bandaged head. Neville wanted to roll his eyes; it had been really deep so of course it would take a while.

"I'm sure, I need to." He added the second part quickly nodding.

"Okay." Harry smiled, "I'll see you at Hogwarts."

Neville smiled too but then quickly gave Luna a small apologetic side hug before leaving the kitchen. Normally he would have liked to talk to her more and maybe cheer her up a bit but he wanted to tell Snape…he paused at his door. Snape wouldn't be allowed to join him for now…

Then the door opened to show Snape standing there with his usual expression. "I thought you might want some help opening the door." His cool voice shook the teen out of his stupor and he smiled at the older man before walking in and closing the door behind him. He figured that Snape wouldn't want anyone to witness what he was about to do so he locked it for good measure and watched the older man raise an eyebrow.

He grinned again but this time more nervously before he grabbed the black-haired man's face and gave him a light kiss. Snape seemed taken aback at first by the gesture but then there was a small twist at the ends of his lips.

"Ah, didn't want to have anyone walking in on you like Weasley and Draco seem to enjoy." Neville's eyes widened and he flushed widely before gaping.

"Y-you didn't!?! They were!?! Oh…Oooohh…" He didn't separate himself from the older man but blushed even more when Snape had given a small chuckle.

"Yes, I did and yes, they were and yes, Oooohh indeed." Snape said sarcastically before pausing and then kissing Neville gently on the forehead but still hesitantly.

"You want to sleep with me tonight?"

"Trying to keep up with them?" Snape asked quickly causing the brunette to splutter and turn even redder than before.

"No!" Neville spat out before stopping and then looked to the floor. "Well…"

Snape raised his eyebrow at the pause.

"I was thinking that maybe you should have a bed instead of a chair and…" Neville fidgeted, "I'm going back to Hogwarts tomorrow morning and I wanted…"

Snape's lips thinned a bit before he gave a brief sigh and Neville looked up at him still a bit nervous. "I figured I wouldn't be greeted with extremely open arms if that's what your worried about and shall I remind you that you had indeed hexed me four times just at the site of me?"

Neville made a face similar to one that a small child would make after breaking something. A face that normally came with someone saying 'oopsie!'.

"Will you stay with me then?" Neville was already pulling the older man over to the bed before he could answer. He pulled back the sheets climbing in still with all of his robes on and moved to the other side of the bed cheeks pink.

The older man hesitated before giving out another sigh and climbed in beside Neville. He lay down and looked up at the ceiling. Neville smiled a little at the pink tint the older man's cheeks had grown.

They both stayed there still in their robes and they were both oddly satisfied. Neville moved closer shyly like a cat stalking its prey before they lay with their shoulder's touching. Snape eyed the younger man warily.

Neville could feel the butterflies form again in this stomach. He knew that nothing _could _happen but he couldn't help but wish something _would._ He really didn't know when he would be able to make it back to Number 12 again; he probably had a lot of work building up in the green houses.

But then again maybe he would be able to see him again pretty soon. He yawned. You could never know during a war. He felt a hand wrapping around his before he fell into a comfortable and deep sleep.

XXX

Ron first awoke with a heavy weight across his stomach. He looked down to see blonde hair and then laid his head back down. This wasn't the first time that he had woken up with the blonde…not that they ever did anything...it just seemed to get weirder and weirder every time. He wondered if he could get used to it and then immediately blushed at the thought.

Why was he thinking he wanted to get used to that…but then.. He looked down at the blonde again who seemed to have decided that he wasn't a comfortable pillow and rolled away with a groan. He smiled; he could get used to this.

The red-head suddenly heard voices downstairs again. He had to get used to that too, he remembered that Luna and Ginny had stayed the night before. But then there was a loud yell.

"Longbottom! Time to go!" Ron shot up, it was Moody. He got a strange feeling about the other man being here and for some reason felt the need to get to Neville's room before Moody had decided to go upstairs. He jumped off of the bed and as quietly as he could opened the door and padded across the hall to Neville's door.

"I'll get him Moody!" He decided to shout for good measure, he didn't know why he felt like he needed to keep the older man from coming upstairs…it was likely that he had already looked through the floors and saw that him and Draco had been sharing a bed.

He blushed garnet.

"Neviiiiiilllle." Ron grabbed the door knob and swung it open walking half way into the room before stopping flat.

Snape glared at him but was sitting up on the bed his hand in the younger teen's hair playing with it as Neville just slept on blissfully. And not snoring Ron noted. The red-head flustered more.

Snape just kept glaring at the ginger as if someone walking in on this intimate scene was not his business but then he slid out of the bed and out from under the teen causing Neville's head to hit the mattress waking the teen.

"I believe you're being called." Snape said in his usual silky voice before leaving the room, going past the gaping red-head and then heading up the stairs to his chair.

"Hn?" Neville rubbed his eyes looking around and then saw Ron. "Oh." He blushed almost matching the other teen. "Did you need something?"

Ron shut his mouth, opened it again and then closed it. He looked behind him to the stairwell after hearing Snape's door close.

"He probably thinks he should be in there while the others are here." Neville got out of the bed and tried to flatten out his robes.

Ron noted with a weird sense of satisfaction that he was not considered 'the others'. "So you're going back to Hogwarts then?" Ron half grinned, he wished wholly that he could too.

"Yeah, I bet Professor Sprout misses me." Neville half laughed walking towards the door.

"Longbottom!"

"Coming!" Neville shouted at the door but turned to Ron giving him a worried glance. "Will you keep him company? Maybe…let him know that…we trust him? I know you might not and I don't want you to lie but…"

Ron tried to smile but it probably came out as a lopsided half-grin. "I'll do my best but you know…maybe I can just lock him and Draco in a room together and then I can go about pretending to be alone again."

Neville laughed giving Ron a nervous glance. "You do know that…Draco is coming with us?"

Ron stopped smiling.

"You didn't know." Neville looked at the ground. "I thought he would tell you…um…sorry he's helping us with something…"

"Ah…okay….yeah…" Ron quickly looked over to the open door across the hall and saw that Draco wasn't in the bed anymore…

"Okay…well…" Neville smiled apologetically, "I'll keep an eye on him for you…you know…considering…" And with that Neville blushed and made his way out of the room and down the stairs as Moody started yelling again.

Ron didn't even want to follow the other teen down the stairs to tell them bye…he walked across the hall and saw that indeed sometime between him catching Snape molesting Neville's sleeping head and looked across the hall…that Draco had somehow gotten downstairs…

He wondered idly why the blonde hadn't told him anything.

It made him slightly angry. He frowned and left the room deciding he didn't want to hand out in there and walked up the flight of stairs to go to the room he hadn't slept in for a while. He felt like moping so that's what he was going to do.

XXX

"I don't think this will work." Draco bit his lip right after he said it, he didn't know how some people would feel about him voicing his opinion.

"Why not?" One of the twins looked at him from across the room while chewing on a piece of toast…the other one looked like he might be sleeping. Draco's eyes scanned the room like so many times before, it looked like everyone could use some rest.

"I think that the Dark Lord…"

"Voldemort." Harry offered and the blonde flinched.

"Yeah him…well he probably figured that someone would want to use his mark against him one day…he might have already figured all of this stuff out…" He ran his hand through his hair…it was getting too long.

"Well right now it's the best we got…" Harry looked a little agitated. "Keep thinking about other ways…" He looked at the professors, "We need to evacuate Hogwarts if we're going to try and call him here."

McGonagall nodded and stood with Flitwick, Sprout, Sinistra and Slughorn.

"Neville is everything else ready?" Everyone watched the brunette walk into the room after the professors left. He was covered head to toe in dirt and scratches.

"Yeah…it'll be a surprise that's for sure." He gave a cheeky grin.

XXX

They sat in the kitchen by the fire, both of them staring at it as if someone would come up and tell them what was happening any moment.

Ron could feel his eyes watering as he stared at the flames but he couldn't pull himself away. Only a few hours before he had made breakfast and Hermione's head appeared having decided to let them know what they were planning in case anything happened.

It was nice to know what was going on he just wished there was some reassurance behind it…or that someone had told him about it before the day…It was probably already happening too…if it had worked.

He pulled his eyes away from the fire and looked over at the black haired man beside him who was still staring at the fire. He didn't look to pleased either.

"Snape." Ron waited until the older man nodded but he still didn't look at the red head. "Want to play some Wizard's chess?"

"Is there any other kind?" Ron smirked and got up to go grab the set,

XXX

"So why didn't you tell Ron you were leaving?" Draco looked over as Neville sat down beside him. Everyone was eating but the blonde didn't feel very hungry.

"I did." Draco thought back on it, "Why did he…"

Neville watched the blonde patiently.

"Oh…" Draco hit his head with his hand. "I think that might have been a dream now that I think about it…"

"What gave it away?" Neville tried not to laugh.

"Well we were having sex for one…" Draco smirked as the brunette lit up crimson. "Was he upset?"

"Y-yes…" Neville's voice squeaked and he couldn't look the blonde in the eyes at the moment. "S-so you haven't?"

"No…" Draco sighed running a hand through his hair. "I don't think any of us really know why we're doing what we're doing anyway…It'll probably end when this is all over anyway…and he can touch me"

"You both are daft." Neville smiled and looked at the sky. "You like each other and it's just one of those benefits that he can actually touch you but the other day he couldn't take his eyes off of you…"

Draco stayed silent but let his lips twitch slightly upward.

"I say that you should just take advantage of it because you really don't know how much time you got left anyway." Neville moved his hand around before sighing and leaning against the tree.

"You've changed Longbottom." Draco laughed lightly.

"So have you, Draco." Neville smiled back. "Don't worry if anything happens I'll make sure you get to see Ron again."

"Ha, sure and I'll help you seduce Snape once this is all over." The blonde snorted before looking at the ground. "Do you think he really has a chance of surviving this war and then probably trial later?"

Neville frowned, he had thought about it. "Well I hope he does because he's stuck with me now and…I don't want him to be alone anymore…"

They both looked over to see Harry walking towards them with Moody.

"It's time then." Neville got up and put his hand out to help Draco. "Good luck."

"Isn't that bad luck?" Draco smirked as he got to his feet.

"Seems a lot nicer than break-a-leg considering the circumstances. We're at war not the movies…" Neville smiled before making his way to Professor Sprout.

XXX

"I'm surprised." Snape drawled watching one of his pieces getting pummeled and the dragged to the side.

"Me too…" Ron answered truthfully, "I thought you would be better at this."

Snape frowned and Ron sniggered.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the whole house shook causing both of them to jump out of their chairs and the chess set fell to the floor. Another bang and the house shook again causing Ron to stumble and dishes to fall from the shelf.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron growled trying to stay on his feet.

"They found this place!" Snape growled and lunged forward grabbing the red-head's shirt by the back of the neck and pulling him back. "We need to get out of here!"

Ron watched wide-eyed as lights came through the cracks in the door to the living room…the house was on fire.

"Unless you've forgotten neither of us have wands Mr. Weasley." Snape pulled to the fire place.

"Where are we going to go?" Ron whispered quickly watching the kitchen door and expecting people to run through them at any moment.

"We should go to Hogwarts, it will be the quickest chance we have of notifying everyone…" And Ron noticed the black-haired man looked worried.

"But what about their plan?"

"Obviously something's gone wrong." The older man growled before grabbing a jar of floo powder and throwing it into the flames. "You first." He grabbed the red-head again and pulled him toward the fire.

"But!"

"Hurry I'll be right behind you!" Snape growled pushing the ginger the rest of the way into the fire.

"Hogwarts!" And before the room vanished before him people in black hoods burst through the door.

Ron watched as room's went past his eyes and wondered idly if he would even be allowed to floo into Hogwarts but as the thought crossed his mind his feet hit solid ground and he fell rolling onto hard tile floors.

There were people screaming and he jumped to his feet to reveal an empty class room. It took him a second to realize that this was actually the old teacher's lounge before Snape hit the floor hard from in the fire.

"You made it!" He almost cried for joy but the older man was mumbling over the fire and putting it out and that's when Ron noticed he had a wand…and he was injured…

There was a large gash across Snape's face and both of his hands were covered in blood. He also had the smell of burnt hair and cloth.

"What are…"

"I'm blocking the network in case they decide to follow us, the only problem is now I'm blocking anyone else from entering Hogwarts." There was a torn pained expression across the older man's face and his breathing was rough.

There was a crashing noise outside their door and people running around but Ron noticed that no one was talking anymore…or screaming.

"I don't know what's going on out there." He whispered quietly. "You're in no condition to…"

"I'll tell you what kind of condition I'm in." Snape growled pushing past the red-head, "You on the other hand have no way to defend yourself against magic…"

Ron wasn't going to stay in this room while there was fighting going on.

"Come with me, stay close and don't forget to duck." As soon as the words came out of his mouth Snape was out the door and Ron had to run to catch up.

"Stupe-Severus!" Ron looked in front of them to see Slughorn sweating and dirty in front of them. "You need to wear brighter colors…"

"I promise the day this war is over Horace." Snape relaxed, "I'm glad to see that Potter's let everyone know who's side I'm on."

"Was there any confusion?" Horace laughed shakily before frowning again. "Headquarters?"

"Destroyed." Snape sighed walking toward the other man. "I need to see Potter."

XXX

Draco couldn't move, his whole body was petrified. It had gone so wrong! Their whole plan!

He couldn't make any noise but he heard people yelling and screaming around him. No one could see him because Neville had thrown him in the bushes right before…

He closed his eyes, maybe everything will work out.

But for now he had to figure out how to break this curse without a wand.

XXX

Ron tried his best to not think about who it could be…. Slughorn had mumbled an apology at him before they went their separate ways and Ron knew immediately something had happened. He wasn't going to think of anyone because no matter what it was going to be hard for him, whoever it was.

Voldemort was dead but at whose cost?

The doors to the Great Hall were open and Ron looked around frantically, there were a ton of injured people and people crying. He looked for Harry.

"Ron!" He spun around and saw Dean Thomas tears streaming down his face, "Ron you need to get over there." He pointed over to were the Gryffindor Table would be and Ron was already running over there but now everything was silent.

He passed people are there were already tears in his eyes mourning for everyone it could be as if preparing himself but…he stopped dead, breathing hard.

His mother was sobbing against his dad who was holding her tight but crying himself. Fred was trying to bandage George up but they also had tears in their eyes…Charlie was hugging Hermione….Bill…

He looked around frantically for Bill…his oldest brother but then he spotted him holding Harry's shoulders. Harry was covered in dirt, blood and sweat but he had someone's head on his lap…long red hair…

Ginny was laying motionless on the floor with her head in Harry's lap as his family cried around her. He felt his knee's give out from underneath him but then there were arms at his side pulling him up and he looked to see Snape holding him up.

"You need to get over there…" He whispered gently and Ron felt the tears stream down his face as he shook his head.

"I-I can't…" He felt himself sobbing now…not Ginny…why…

"It's broken…You ran into so many people on the way over here…your Mark, it's curse is broken." Snape still whispered making sure Ron could stand on his own. "You need to get over there…"

Ron didn't need to be told twice and he ran over and wrapped his long arms around both of his parents before they even realized he was there.

And their family cried.

XXX

Neville groaned and shifted on the cold floor he was laying on.

He opened his eyes wide and sat up before hissing in pain and grabbing his side…another broken rib then. He looked around…he was in a room with no furniture…but there were no people..

He tried to remember what happened…the plan had been going well but then…and Draco…

Neville moved his extremities and patted himself down looking for more injuries and if he still had his wand…a lot more injuries…but no wand.

Well they hadn't bound him…he moved as silently as he could, it was dark but he could see lights in the other room…

"What DO YOU MEAN?!?!" The cold voice shook every bone in his body. He would recognize that voice anywhere…

Bellatrix LeStrange

XXX

Ron's world was spinning too fast.

Ginny was dead, Voldemort was dead, along with Luna, Hagrid, and Seamus.

It had taken them a while to pull Hermione away from his body when she had first scene it. Apparently she's pregnant with his child.

Everyone was trying to pull everything back together again. It was a time for celebrations but even Ron couldn't smile. Not even the fact that he could touch people again…

And now Draco had shown up and apparently Neville had been taken.

Snape had gone back to the headquarters to see if the teen would show up there…but it was burnt to the ground now.

Draco was shaking while holding on to the red-head. "We-we were suddenly surround and I had been stunned and h-he, Neville, threw me into some bushes," That explained why nobody had found him yet, "And then Lucius was there and then Neville just grabbed him and they both vanished."

Snape made a clicking sound.

"Neville apparated with Malfoy?" Harry had his hands over his eyes and he looked drained in every since, it was a miracle he was even still there.

"Yes." And Draco fell to his knees, it had taken a lot out of him to get out of the stun without a wand. "H-he saved me…"

"We need to get him!" Dean stood up. "We can't lose anyone else today." Ron felt a pang in his heart when he remembered Luna.

"Okay, we know where they are and they know Voldemort's dead." Harry stood shakily. "They will be running around with their heads cut off so the sooner the better."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Moody nodded. "Boy." He looked at Draco, "Do you remember how to get about that Mansion of your fathers?"

"Yes! Anything!"

Ron looked over at Snape who looked pale, he hadn't said anything since he had heard the news. Ron noticed the man's hands were shaking.

XXX


End file.
